Spira's Sphere
by M'jai
Summary: Now that Tidus is back, the Gullwings have big plans for building a memorial in Zanarkand to honor the fayth and that city's unfortunate history. Spheres that tell Zanarkand's stories will play a major role in the construction, but the Gullwings' allies are skeptical of Tidus's likeness and connections to Shuyin. Tidus's sphere, however, may be the most critical to their hunt.
1. Chapter 1: Within This Skin

**Spira's Sphere**

by M'jai

Written 9/2005

Re-uploaded and revised:

4 June 2010

12 July 2019

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This is the sequel to _Spira's Dream_ \- it would be best to read that story first. This story is heavily dependent on the concepts originally presented in that one.

))((

Disclaimer:

Cannon content for setting, characters, plot, and inspiration belong to Square Enix. Original plot content and characters belong to me. Fans of the game will recognize which is which. My appreciation goes out to Square Enix and their wonderful game designers for giving us such inspiring entertainment. Any resemblance between my fan-fic and other FFX2 fan-fics is purely unintentional. We are all playing the same game, after all, so it's easy to draw some similar theories from it. Hopefully, it will pack a few new surprises, though.

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Chapter 1: Within this Skin

Yuna gathered the last of the spheres that she had been labeling and placed them in a crate, careful to cushion them with a blanket. Then, she stepped back to assess her packing job, frowned in consternation for a moment, and remembered where another blanket might be. Capping the pen and humming to herself, she skipped up the stairs of the bridge and headed down the hall to the lift. The doors closed with a hiss, and the lift lowered her into the airship's engine room. When the doors opened, she walked down the second set of stairs to the right corner and smiled.

Fulfilling his promise to Wakka about coaching the Besaid Aurochs blitzball team, Tidus was on one of the blankets doing sit-ups. Each morning before running his teammates through fitness drills, he tested the routines out himself. Noticing her watching with admiration from the bottom of the stairs, and without breaking his stride doing crunches, he gave a short, mischievous kiss to his bicep.

With a light laugh, Yuna rolled her eyes before crossing the floor. "You know, if you flirt with yourself too much, there's no need for me to do it."

He grinned. "Ah, but if _you_ flirt with me, then I'll easily get distracted and lose my count."

"You are rather easily distracted," she agreed, remembering how the Gullwings did a dance to distract him from catching a pass recently. "Doesn't this floor hurt your back?" She folded her arms on top of his knees and rested her chin on them as she crouched at his feet.

Tidus drew himself up in a crunch face-to-face with her and held the position for a few seconds. "Not much different from having to sleep on it. Fifteen. Set five, one, ..." He vocally marked his place, starting a new set of repetitions, as he lowered his back to the floor again.

"It's been two weeks since you came back. I don't think Brother meant for you to sleep in the engine room this long."

"Well, the one time I asked about it, he said there was no space in the men's bunks." Tidus rose eye-level with her again. "Two."

"Well, then maybe you could share the loft with us." Yuna smiled so big her eyes squinted shut.

"Are you kidding me? Brother's tolerating me now, but there's no way he'd let me sleep in the loft." He lowered himself, then curled back up again. "Three."

"You could sleep on the futon-sofa."

Tidus gave half a laugh as he lowered himself to the floor once more. "It doesn't matter if you offer me the shower stall. He's not going to let me sleep in the cabin."

"I'll talk to him about it after I come back from Bevelle."

"Four," he continued under his breath as he drew himself forward.

"Would you like to go with me to the conference? I know you've got to get the team ready for the second half of the league games, but since this does involve Zanarkand, I think maybe you should join us." She playfully tapped the end of his nose, making him blink before he could lower himself again.

Tidus winced. "I'm no good at stuffy, formal things, Yuna. If I have to sit in a hard chair listening to lectures for more than thirty minutes, I start snoring." After pulling himself up again, he paused. "Was that four or five?"

"Three," Yuna helpfully answered.

Tidus almost believed her for a moment. "Nah, see, you made me lose count!"

She tried not to laugh. "You've already done four sets of fifteen. That's 60 sit-ups. Is being one count off really going to make any difference?"

"I always did five sets during game season."

"Then, I'm sure you're strong enough to carry some spheres to Bevelle for me."

"You can swing Caladbolg, but you can't carry a bunch of large marbles?"

She gave him her best kitten look - an easy thing for her, considering one eye was forest green and the other sea blue, just like a cat. "Please?"

With a groan, Tidus continued his uncounted crunches. "An hour of practice time and a shower first."

"Deal." She clasped her hands together, pleased. "Oh, and I need one of the extra blankets to finish packing the spheres, so they won't break." She kissed his nose as he came forward again … before he could lower himself back to the floor.

Tidus lowered his hands from behind his head, winced, and rubbed a hand across his abdomen. "_Kyaaa_, talking to you during crunches means more crunch than reps." Sitting up, he placed his hands on the floor behind himself. "Hey, I'm thinking of dragging Wakka's butt out of bed today to join us for a run. I mean, I know he's a homebody now, but I want to keep him involved. Think he'll go for it?"

Yuna giggled and stood. "I'm sure he would appreciate your intentions, but rolling him out of bed for a run around the island every morning might get a shoe thrown at you."

"If I can dodge his tackles; I can dodge a pair of shoes."

Yuna sifted through the pile of blankets stacked near the wall and selected one. Then she changed her mind and drew all of them into her arms.

When she turned around, he stood and offered the one he'd been using. "Two hours," he repeated his bargain and headed for the door.

"Two hours." Yuna agreed with a grin and watched him jog down the steps of the hatch, leaving for the village. Having Tidus back felt ... right. Even routine tasks were special, knowing he was around. Hefting the cumbersome blankets in her arms, she headed up the stairs back to the cabin. There, she went straight to the futon-sofa and dumped all of the blankets except one. Draping her choice over her arm, she skipped back down the stairs, humming again, and headed to the bridge to finish packing.

))((

Tidus jogged up the beach and down the path toward Besaid Village, coming to a stop outside of the Aurochs' team hut. Everyone on the team was already stretching and getting ready for practice. "All right, I have a stuffy, formal thing to go to in Bevelle in two hours, so today we'll go around the island once, then meet back at the beach for some crunches and passing drills. Go ahead and start without me. I'll catch up." The team answered with a few muffled complaints, but Tidus turned in the opposite direction and knocked on the door frame of the little hut across the road to collect his guest of honor.

The curtain was pulled aside with a _woosh_, and Lulu greeted him with mild surprise. "Well, aren't you bright-eyed and bushy-tailed." Vidina loudly suckled a drool-slimed fist at her shoulder.

"I thought I'd invite Wakka on our run."

Lulu chuckled, but stepped aside and tilted her head in invitation for him to enter.

Tidus slipped off his sneakers and ducked between the curtains.

Wakka was sitting on the floor at the tea table with a bowl of tropical fruit and a juiced plate. "Hey! Come to help me collect more palm fruit? You should'a seen him scale those trees, yesterday, Lu. Funniest thing I've seen in a long time. He was like a little monkey, except a monkey would know not to hit the really ripe fruit that's directly overhead, ya? He nearly knocked himself senseless." Wakka laughed and popped another piece of sliced palm fruit into his mouth.

Tidus returned a flat expression and rested his hands at his hips. "Well then, I'll collect the fruit on the ground, and you climb the tree next time."

"More fun watching you do it."

"Well, just for that, you're going for a run."

"When?"

"Now."

"Nah, man. My breakfast is still settling." He patted his stomach.

Not taking "no" for an answer, Tidus grabbed Wakka's arm and pulled him up from the floor. "Come on, Coach! Your breakfast doesn't need to settle any more than it already has."

"What do you mean, Coach? You're the captain now." Wakka stood.

"Yeah, and my first act as captain is to make you the official coach. I'll set up drills and make them work hard, but a team's not a team without its heart and soul. So, ... you're our coach."

Wakka blinked at him in disbelief. "You're serious?"

"I'm serious. Look, you don't have to play in the games or attend all the practices. I know you have more important things to take care of now. But, the team has talked about it, and it's just not the same without you being there at least some of the time."

Lulu smiled as she approached her husband. "I think you should take him up on it."

"But, what about -"

"Your son would love to share your enthusiasm for the game some day, Wakka."

Tidus grinned and clapped his hands down on Wakka's shoulders. "Island fun run. Shake a leg, old man." Turning his big buddy around, he pushed him toward the door.

"_Fun_ run? Are we going the length of the whole island or something?"

"Nope! All the way around."

"What are you trying to do? Kill me?" Wakka loudly protested.

As the pair collected their shoes and left the tent, Lulu held the baby at her chest and used his hand to wave goodbye. "Looks like your daddy's going to be very, very sore when Uncle Tidus finishes with him."

Vidina smiled and drew his fist to his mouth with a soft, wet coo of agreement.

Lulu smooched the baby's cheek, then gracefully stepped back into the shade of the hut.

))((

An hour and forty-five minutes passed before Tidus, sandy and dripping with salt water, ran up the ramp of the Celsius and headed straight for the shower. He came out still drying his hair and tried to make himself presentable for the conference by donning his black basilisk armor. Then, he tossed the towel to the floor and ran to the lift.

"Right on time," Yuna spoke as he entered the bridge. Standing with Rikku and Brother, she had apparently been waiting for his arrival and was dressed in her most formal sphere - a red and blue ankle-length gown with revealing cut-outs along the sides and center front. She held a fan in one hand, and another fan-like comb pinned her hair.

With a giggle, Rikku drew close to Tidus's ear. "Close your mouth, silly."

Not realizing his mouth was open, Tidus closed it, mildly embarrassed.

Yuna stepped forward and clasped her fan between both hands. "It's time to go. Are you ready?"

"Um … yeah." He started to head for the lift, empty-handed.

"Tidus? … The spheres?" Yuna pointed to the crate.

"Oh! Spheres! ... Right." Embarrassed again, Tidus laughed off his distraction and lifted the crate. Though he had teased her about it earlier, he was quickly surprised by the weight. "So, why isn't anyone else coming?"

"We didn't want to have to dress up fancy." Brother tucked his thumbs under his suspenders and gave them a proud, little stretch.

Tidus wondered if Brother _ever_ wore a shirt, or if he assumed his copious amounts of body ink were sufficient coverage.

"It's not necessary for everyone to be there," Yuna explained. "It's a gathering of Spira's leaders as a temporary council, and I was asked to represent Besaid."

"Okay, but don't be surprised if I start to snore," Tidus warned, prompting a swat from Yuna's fan.

The airship set Yuna and Tidus down outside of Bevelle, and together they strolled down the long, mosaic-tiled road toward the city gates. The guards allowed them immediate entry.

Tidus looked up at the lifts that crossed the sky above them. It was ironic, but of all the new civilizations on Spira, Bevelle reminded him the most of Zanarkand. Its fortressed, red walls looked nothing like Zanarkand's ancient towers, and machina were only just now being introduced again, after being forbidden by the teachings of Yevon for so long; but Bevelle was the only city as old and large as Zanarkand had once been. Shuyin had shared his eyewitness memories of another age when Bevelle's warships descended on Zanarkand to destroy it, whereas Tidus had memories only of Sin. Pausing near the balcony, Tidus scanned the view above and below the ancient city until a gentle tug on his arm drew his attention back to the present. Smiling sweetly, Yuna coaxed him toward the temple doors.

Inside the temple, robed priests of New Yevon greeted and escorted them to the lift, which took them up to the second level. There, more priests greeted them with the formal bows of their tradition. "Lady Yuna, Praetor Baralai will see you straight away," one spoke and ushered her into the conference room.

"Lady Yuna." A small-framed young man with short, white hair greeted her with another formal Yevonite bow. "Welcome. Everyone else has already arrived. Please take your seat at the table."

"Thank you, Baralai." Yuna courteously returned his formal greeting. "I hope you don't mind that I brought someone with me."

"Not a problem. We have extra chairs we can-" Baralai fell silent as Tidus entered behind her.

"Shuyin!" At the table in the center of the room behind them, a tall, lean, angry man reached for his cane and started to stand.

Tidus sighed, annoyed. _ Here we go again_ ...

"Nooj, take a pill." Seated next to Nooj, Gippal took the cane and dropped it to the floor. "That's not Shuyin; he's Yuna's new friend."

"Old friend, actually." Yuna hooked Tidus's elbow and led him the rest of the way into the conference room, where she directed him to set the crate of spheres in the corner. "His name is Tidus. Tidus, this is Praetor Baralai, the leader of New Yevon. You've met Gippal of the Machine Faction already. That is Meyvn Nooj of the Youth League. And of course, you already know Kimahri Ronso and Tromell Guado."

"Tidus." Baralai was clearly uncomfortable with the coincidental likeness to the spirit that possessed and used him in an attempt to destroy Spira. With concern, the praetor studied Tidus's face for a moment. But he eventually made himself smile and offered the formal bow of welcome. "Nice to meet you, … Tidus."

_ Shuyin_ ... Tidus was still trying to absorb his relationship to the departed spirit that terrorized Spira for a thousand years. He could reshape his body for the sake of a game, but no amount of training would help him escape the truth within his own skin. Baralai and Gippal had managed to set aside their skepticism well enough, but he could tell Nooj was going to be tougher to convince that he wasn't a fiend. Tidus still felt stupid doing the Zanarkand blitzball cheer as a formal, religious greeting, but he followed their etiquette as a gesture of good faith and hoped it would be enough.


	2. Chapter 2: Stuffy Formal Thing

Chapter 2: Stuffy Formal Thing

Tidus was glad to see Kimahri at the gathering and made his way to the ronso's side. "Hey, how come you didn't have to dress up for this fancy thing?"

"Kimahri wear new talisman." The ronso proudly displayed a stone and feather ornament worn about his massive, blue shoulders. "Tidus look like strong knight in new black armor."

Tidus proudly accepted the compliment and adjusted a bracer over his forearm. "Well, I -"

"Not look like twelve-year-old boy anymore." The ronso's lion-like face split into a fanged snarl that was supposed to be a grin.

"_Twelve_?"

Behind him, Yuna giggled. Tidus turned to frown at her, but she patted the chair brought in for him.

He gave Kimahri's rock-solid arm a light punch for the remark, then sat down next to her. "I can see I'm going to regret the day I tried to convince him to show more humor." Once settled, he looked up and noticed Nooj's calculating stare on him. Apparently, the man had no intentions of welcoming him into the fold yet - or perhaps ever.

"Well, since everyone is here now, let's begin." Baralai stood at the head of the table. "Today is a historic moment for all of Spira. Most of our leaders have put aside their differences and come together to make plans for a monumental idea proposed by Lady Yuna of Besaid." He gestured toward her, but everyone around the table knew her well enough that no further introductions were necessary. "Lady Yuna had a vision from one of the departed fayth. And he suggested that we gather the remaining spheres of Spira's past and build a vault for them in Zanarkand. She has contacted each of us to get our opinions on the matter, and we have voiced our agreement. So, the next step is to put the plan into action. That's why we're here today." Pulling out his chair, he seated himself at the table. "Where should we begin?"

Yuna spoke first. "I think we should begin with spheres." It seemed obvious, but she glanced to Tidus, who stood, collected the crate, and set on the table. As he sat down, she continued. "The Gullwings will donate all of the spheres we've collected to date, except the ones we make frequent use of. You may keep them in your vaults with the temple spheres until the completion of the library in Zanarkand."

"Are you sure keeping all of the spheres in one place is wise?" Nooj asked with caution. Leader of the Youth League, the tall, lean man with long, light brown hair was used to demanding that the temples release their own spheres to the public. Now, after much distrust had passed between his own organization and New Yevon, in the wake of the Crimson Squad and Vegnagun crises, he was having to sit back and watch more coveted spheres pass freely into the temple's grasp.

Baralai read between the lines. "The spheres will be safe in the temple's care, Nooj. And I give my word as praetor they will be released when the time is right, along with _all_ of the temple's spheres."

Nooj pushed his small, wire glasses up on his nose with the machina fingers of his artificial left hand. "Back it up."

"What would you ask as proof?"

"Youth League guards at the vaults," Nooj suggested.

Baralai didn't look happy with that demand. "On the outside interests that's fine, but ... you want the people who tried to destroy the temples to guard their most precious assets? That would be like handing money to a thief."

"No, it would be like taking back what the thief stole in the first place."

Gippal cleared his throat loudly and absently turned his pen end-over-end. "You know, the whole purpose of inviting everyone here today was to try to remember what it felt like to work together. If you two start trying to take a chunk out of each other's throats again, I'm outta here." Though a black eye patch covered his right eye, the green eye that remained cut toward both of his former buddies like a sharp knife.

Baralai lowered his chin at Gippal's laid-back reprimand. "Very well. We will share guard duty at the vaults, but not just with the Youth League. All parties present will assign a rotation of guards."

"And no one shall retain the right of solo watch duty," Nooj insisted. "It will keep everyone honest and prevent a lockout."

Baralai ignored the last remark and looked over his shoulder to one of his advisers, who quickly produced a logbook to take notes. "Include that provision in the formal treaty."

"The guado have a treasure room of old spheres recording some of our own history. I shall be glad to donate them to the cause as well." Tromell, the green-haired leader of the guado, folded his long-fingered, large-palmed hands over one another on the table, allowing the wide sleeves of his over-sized coat to cover them.

"Thank you, Master Tromell." Baralai nodded to his advisers to make a note.

Gippal scratched lightly at the eye patch's elastic band. "I don't see any hypello hanging out with us today. Did we forget to invite them to the party?"

Baralai couldn't help but chuckle. "If you can find a leader among the hypello, I will gladly invite him." A chuckle rose up around the table among the participants concerning the lackadaisical nature of the blue frog-like creatures found all over Spira. Baralai continued. "We are in negotiations with the elder councils of Kilika and Luca, of course, so maybe they will eventually join us."

"However big we build the library, it should have space to expand in hopes of more spheres being found." Nooj flipped through his own paperwork and made some notes, as well.

"The Gullwings will continue to hunt spheres," Yuna promised. "It's what we do best, so that will be our contribution to the project."

"Thank you, Yuna. What about the spheres already in circulation?" Baralai raised a valid economic concern. "Are we going to impose a ban on trade, or is this strictly voluntary?"

"Strictly voluntary." Nooj shifted uncomfortably in his seat and glanced toward Tidus again as if his presence was a distraction. "No more bans."

"We could make rounds among the sphere hunters we know and see if any are willing to donate to the collection," Yuna suggested.

Gippal slouched in his chair. "We're not talking about the Seekers, Yuna. Common sphere traders and professional hunters aren't going to want to put themselves out of business by voluntarily giving up their fortune."

"Then, we need an incentive. We could offer a reward. The temple has lots of gil it could spare, doesn't it?" she suggested.

Baralai gave his wide headband a slight adjustment over his brow. "That's a lot to ask of New Yevon for a group project. If there's going to be a reward, shouldn't we all contribute funding?"

"If it can get the spheres out of circulation and into the vault, we should all do what we can. The Youth League isn't as well-endowed as New Yevon, though. We will donate what we can afford - nothing more. Imposing a tariff on committee members is not an option." Nooj peered above the rim of his glasses for a moment, as if daring Baralai to challenge him on that, but then he added a brief smile to take some of the edge off of his no-nonsense position.

"Include a provision to set a reward, " Baralai instructed his adviser. "Who will take on the task of actually building the vault?"

"Ronso." Kimahri was the sole person in the room standing, mainly because his large, muscular frame would not be squeezed into a human-sized chair. "Ronso tribe need something to unify youth. Taking pride in building sacred vault would be good. Ronso close to Zanarkand and strong to cut and move stone."

"A logical and admirable decision, Elder Kimahri." Baralai nodded again to his adviser to include that. "The ronso tribe will be in charge of the actual construction."

"Machine Faction can donate tools," Gippal offered. "No offense, but our shovels and drills are bigger and faster than anything a ronso could do by hand. We can also supply hovercraft to transport supplies. We'll still need raw muscle, of course ..."

"Ronso will work with Machine Faction to build vault on sacred grounds," Kimahri agreed, twitching his tail - the only display of excitement the stoic ronso was ever known to show.

"The guado have extensive knowledge of how the magic of the spheres works. Perhaps we could work with the storage and display properties of the recovered spheres," Tromell offered. "It would also give us an excuse to gather some of the memory-preserving lake water from Macalania before it completely fades away."

"An excellent idea." Baralai seconded it and nodded to his secretary.

Yuna slipped her small, graceful hand into the air wanting a turn to speak again.

Baralai gestured for her to go ahead.

"I have only one real concern about these plans. We must not forget that Zanarkand is the graveyard for many, many lost souls, including my own father. There has already been one attempt to turn it into a tourist attraction. I don't want that to happen again. The library should be free to all instead of something designed to earn wealth. And the ruins themselves should be guarded separate from it, so that they are off-limits to everyone except expert sphere hunters, who will take care to leave the ruins as they are, as much as possible. If we are building this vault to house the real memories of Zanarkand's dead, then it deserves the same sacred respect that we gave the fayth's dream. Just, ... please, ... let's not forget that the ruins are actually a very large tomb. That's all I want to say."

"A very valid point, Lady Yuna." Baralai gestured to his adviser to bring the logbook to him so he could read over what they had determined to add to the document so far. "We will include measures to secure the road into the ruins."

Kimahri gave the structure itself some thought. "Building should look like it belonged to Zanarkand."

"Absolutely." Gippal rose from his chair and walked around the table to open the crate and sift through the blanket-wrapped spheres. "Hey, Yuna, I don't suppose one of these spheres has an image of a Zanarkand library?"

"Several display glimpses of Zanarkand from a distance, but I don't know if they include a library. Even if we don't find a library in the images, maybe we can somehow look at one of the buildings from different angles and figure out a way to reconstruct it. Is that possible?" Yuna stood to help him sort through the spheres.

Gippal read the label of one sphere and touched the activation button to see a small, static-filled image of the extensive Zanarkand skyline. "Woah. We'll never be able to drag one building out from all of that. Any interior blueprint is completely lost to the sheer size of what's around it."

"Tidus is expert on Zanarkand. Maybe he has memory of interior." Kimahri turned his golden eyes on him.

Nooj faced Tidus with skepticism. "Are you a historian or a sphere hunter?"

"Neither, really." Tidus shrugged. "I'm a blitz player."

"Are you very familiar with the ruins?"

"Very. But I don't remember the library that well. Guess I should have done more reading." Tidus laughed lightly at his own joke.

"Is there any building complete enough to use as a model for recreating a new one?" Nooj pressed.

"I ... don't know." Tidus shrugged again. "Other than the temple, I haven't really walked around much to see what's left of the place."

"Then how _exactly_ is he our expert on Zanarkand?" Nooj asked of Kimahri.

"Tidus from Zanarkand. Tidus know Zanarkand in mind and heart." Kimahri thumped a large fist over his furry, blue chest.

The faction trio stared at Tidus with confusion. While Kimahri and Tromell knew something of his unique origins, the other three did not. He had met Gippal only briefly, and he had never met Nooj or Baralai before at all.

Yuna could tell Tidus was beginning to feel uncomfortable about the matter.

"How can he be from Zanarkand?" Baralai asked. "Nobody's lived in those ruins for a thousand years."

Tidus became uncharacteristically silent.

Yuna silently pleaded with him to speak. This was why she needed him here.

Tromell folded his hands on the table and leaned forward. "Lady Yuna's guardian is not actually from Zanarkand as we know it. He is from the dream of the fayth."

The confusion on the faces of the faction leaders changed to deep suspicion.

"The fayth no longer dream," Baralai stated.

"They summoned him, but he lives by his own will now," Yuna tried to explain.

"Like an unsent?" Nooj's severe, intelligent eyes shifted from Yuna back to Tidus.

Yuna frowned at that assumption. "He's not unsent."

"If he's part of the dream, he's not real."

"_Yes_, he is." She folded her arms over her chest. "We see him, hear him, touch him -"

"His physical appearance, however convincing, is most likely an illusion. But it is cast about a real soul, I believe." Tromell explained his theory without knowing how close to the truth he actually was.

"_Whose_ soul?" Nooj and Barali questioned in unison, both of them now glowering in his direction.

"Excuse me. I think I need some air." Tidus pushed his seat back and gave a brief bow before leaving the room.

Yuna watched him go, then turned to face the other faction leaders. "Tidus is _not_ Shuyin." Pacing lightly, she wrung her hands and reminded herself to refrain from being angry. "I know Shuyin did terrible things to each of you. I can't blame you for being cautious. But Tidus was sent by the fayth to be _my_ guardian on the pilgrimage to Zanarkand. He's not a danger to you. Please, believe me. We need his help with this." She cast the door a worried glance. Then, without waiting for their consent, Yuna exited the room and leaned over the balcony rail to scan the temple floor below for Tidus.

There wasn't a trace of him anywhere.


	3. Chapter 3: Sweet Crackers

Chapter 3: Sweet Crackers

Yuna ran to the lift and anxiously gripped the rail as it lowered her to the main floor of the temple. She still saw no sign of Tidus, so she left the building to check the outside balcony where he paused to admire the view earlier. "Where did he go?" she worried aloud, then stopped a passing priest. "Excuse me. Did you see a young man with blond hair and black armor go by here?"

"No, Lady Yuna."

Turning, she looked toward the waterfall, then lifted her gaze to the upper outdoor balcony of the temple. Running back inside, she took the lift up once more and exited the door that led to the rest of the city tucked away behind the temple walls. Bevelle was very large, so she hoped he wasn't wandering aimlessly. "Excuse me." She grabbed a passing guard. "Have you seen a young man with blond hair and black armor?"

"Just a minute ago. He went that way." The guard pointed to the exterior balcony.

Yuna ran toward the vine-covered, red-hued walls and passed through the ornate gate that led to the balcony overlooking the outside of the city. With one foot propped on the bottom section of the rail, Tidus stood leaning on his elbows over the top, staring out over the landscape below. She tried to slow her pace as she drew near, so as not to seem upset.

Tidus blinked into the sun, then turned his chin slightly to let her know he was aware of her presence.

"If it bothers you, we won't do it. We can pick another place to build the library and let Zanarkand be."

He shrugged. "It's okay. Zanarkand's a good place for something like that."

Yuna moved to his side but hesitated to say more. "Then it's their association with Shuyin that upset you."

He made a face and looked away again.

"Shuyin possessed them, you know."

"Yeah, I know."

"He's the one that made Nooj try to kill them." She placed a hand on his back and stroked the supple scales of the basilisk armor. "They just need time to get to know you. Then, they'll realize they are mistaken."

"Are they? I was still part of him at the time that he died and sought revenge." He blinked into the sun again. "That means I died here, too, doesn't it? Maybe I _am_ a different kind of unsent fiend, rather than a different kind of living person."

Yuna shook her head. "No. Shuyin died here. You did not exist yet."

"His memories are exactly like mine, except where Sin came to take me away. I share his soul, except I'm like some kind of partial reincarnation that woke up a thousand years later without ever really coming back to life." He ran his fingers through his shaggy hair. "I mean, ... maybe I'm not who he became, but I lived with him all that time before the fayth did whatever they did to put me in the dream."

Yuna wondered if she did the right thing, inviting him to the meeting. If it strained his memories of Zanarkand, or if it caused new conflict between the factions, it could mean trouble - trouble that, for all she knew, might weaken his presence here. "You have a strong sense of your own identity. Even Shuyin said that. It's why the fayth couldn't rejoin you. Think of him only as a brother."

Closing his eyes and drawing a deep breath, Tidus turned his face toward the warmth of the sun.

Yuna studied the unspoken fears that floated across his face like a cloud drifting over the Calm Lands. She couldn't drag him back the meeting - not like this. "Would you like to see the rest of Bevelle? I don't think you've ever had the chance to see the city beyond the temple."

After a moment of contemplation, he straightened, took her hand, and tried to smile, ... for her sake. "So, you were born here, right?"

"Yes." She led him away from the balcony. "I lived here until I was seven, ... until my father ended his journey with Sir Auron and Sir Jecht. Sir Auron befriended Kimahri here in Bevelle when he was outcast from the ronso tribe, and he recommended him to my father as a temporary guardian for me. When my father didn't come back, Sir Auron asked Kimahri to take me to Besaid because that was what my father requested. My father liked it there so much." Yuna gave Tidus a smile as they walked. "So, Kimahri took care of me there, until I was old enough to apprentice as a summoner. But I still remember quite a bit from living here." She led him down into the main street of the city proper, where little booths and thin trees lined both sides of the colorful tile path leading to and from the temple. "My father used to bring me here every week for a dining out treat. And he'd always buy me a bag of sweet crackers that came with a shell ring." She laughed lightly and pulled him behind her toward a venue of little shops. "This is where I met Sir Jecht, too, after my dad and Sir Auron found him -"

"- in jail on drunken and disorderly conduct," Tidus flatly finished, recalling the sphere they found of the incident.

Yuna sighed at his lingering opinions of his own father. "Sir Jecht was a sweet man."

"To you, maybe."

"He may have had problems showing it, but he did care for you. Everyone has something they're not good at. Maybe he wasn't able to open up to people. But you are an amazingly open person in spite of that. You taught him something about himself in the end." Stopping in front of a vendor, Yuna searched her handbag for some gil. She selected two bags of sweet crackers, paid for them, then offered him one.

Tidus regarded the bag with reservation.

"Would you rather have a chocolate-covered banana? Those are good, too. They come with little sprinkles." She pointed toward a small garden. "We always ate over there, by the fat man statue."

He smirked with doubt. "Fat man statue?"

"He's supposed to be a famous priest, but I forget which one." Yuna gave the bags of sweet crackers a tempting shake.

Tidus begrudgingly gave in to her attempt to cheer him and took one of the bags. Opening it, he popped a few sweet crackers into his mouth.

Yuna watched expectantly.

He shrugged. "Not bad."

"You didn't even look for the ring." She took his bag and shook it before peering in.

"Why would anyone put a ring in a bag of little crackers? Someone might choke on it."

"Well, if they eat as fast as you do, maybe," she cheerfully answered without skipping a beat.

"Your jokes are getting as bad as Kimahri's."

"It's usually made out of a pretty shell." She continued shaking the bag and poked a finger through the contents until she caught sight of something other than a cracker. Pinching it, she pulled it out but was disappointed to see it was a small strip of paper instead of a ring. " No luck this time. Just a fortune."

He took it from her, along with another pinch of crackers, and read it aloud. "'Wherever you go, there you are.'" He snorted in amusement. "Wonder how long it took them to come up with that?"

"It means you're to enjoy the present, instead of worrying about the future or past." Yuna opened her bag and sifted through it, but ended up with another fortune, … and another childlike pout. "The rings must have been less common than I remember. I guess that's what made them feel special - that and the fact that it was a day out with my father." Disappointed, she dropped the fortune back into the bag. "Oh well. At least the crackers are good, right?" She smiled at him and snagged some more of the snack.

"Yeah, they're pretty good." He took his bag of crackers back from her, and they started walking toward the fat man statue when cries of, "Lady Yuna! Lady Yuna!" drew their attention to a cluster of young people approaching with paper scraps and pens.

"May we have your autograph?" the oldest girl among them asked.

"Eh?" She glanced to Tidus. He shrugged his indifference on the matter, so she passed her crackers to him and began accepting paper scraps to sign. "All right. One at a time, please."

"Well, this is different." He munched some more crackers. "I was usually asked to sign Abes blitzballs and T-shirts when I went out and about, but now you're the one getting all the attention."

"It's because I started singing at the same time I started sphere hunting. I guess I couldn't make up my mind what I wanted to do with myself instead of being a summoner. Does it bother you?"

"Of course not. I'm glad you found something else you enjoy doing."

"Lady Yuna, when are you going to do another concert?" one of the children asked.

"Oh, um, I've been busy recently with other things." Yuna lifted her chin to look at the child, then straightened and faced Tidus. "A concert! We should do a concert for the opening ceremony of the library!"

"A concert? In Zanarkand?" He munched another handful of sweet crackers.

"Why not? We did one over the Thunder Plains."

He blinked with surprise. "Seriously? You're supposed to electrify your audience, not _electrocute_ them."

"I'll get in contact with Tobli right away when we return to the ship!"

Tidus chuckled at her enthusiasm and strolled away to the little booths behind them while he waited for her to finish the autographs. The booths had a variety of wares for sale, everything from clothing to swords.

"Is he your guitarist?" one of the girls waiting for Yuna's autograph asked.

Yuna looked over her shoulder at Tidus as he lulled over a few items on sale and listened to the music of a man playing a stringed instrument under a small, sheltered alcove. "He's my guardian," she answered with a warm smile.

"Doesn't look like he's guarding you very well," one of the boys skeptically announced.

"Oh, but he is. He's guarding my crackers while I sign your notes."

The girls in the group giggled. "You have a really cute guardian," one bashfully told her.

"He thinks so, too," Yuna whispered. With a playful wink, she held a finger to her lips that they should keep this secret. The girls giggled some more.

When Tidus ambled back to her side, he dug into her handbag and counted out some change. "Need some gil" was the only explanation he offered. However, he became aware of the stares and hushed giggles focused on him. Taking note of the smug expression Yuna wore, his eyes narrowed in suspicion. But having found enough coins to cover his expense, he walked away again.

"He's also the new captain of the Besaid Aurochs," Yuna whispered to her admirers. "Be sure to cheer him on at one of his games if you happen to be in Luca."

The boys in the group regarded Tidus with a mixture of doubt and curiosity. "The Besaid Aurochs are one of the worst teams in the league," one of them complained.

"Well, that was then, this is now. Tidus is going to help them win. He has this really amazing trick shot called ..." She had to think for a moment to remember the whole name. "The Sublimely Magnificent Jecht Shot Mark III!" Giggling at the over-the-top title, Yuna finished signing everyone's notes. Then, she waved good-bye and jogged toward the fat man statue where Tidus was waiting. "Sorry about that."

"So, what were you telling those little urchins about me? It not nice to talk about me behind my back, you know."

"I told them you were guarding my crackers and gave your upcoming games a little publicity. What did you buy?" She sat down on the colorful stone bench beside him.

Looking guilty, he showed her both bags were empty. Then he revealed a third bag of crackers in his other hand.

Yuna laughed and accepted the new bag. "Some cracker guard you are."

"Oh, and ... this." He deposited a shell ring into her hand, pleased with himself for managing to pick a bag that had one.

Yuna's eyes widened with delight as she slipped it onto her finger. "You found one!" It was mostly white with a touch of coral, purple, pink, and brown streaks through the carved, palm design. "Does this mean we belong to each other now?" She jokingly showed it off as if it were a diamond.

He lowered his gaze a bit. "Yuna, … I've always belonged to you. I wouldn't be here if they hadn't made me to be with you."

Yuna looked from her ring to her guardian. At first, she was touched, but then she realized there was a double-edged truth to his statement. He _had_ been made for her. He had been created for the sole purpose of helping her defeat Yu Yevon. And that meant ... "They gave you no choice in the matter, ... did they."

He shook his head at her misunderstanding. "It was my choice to come back."

There was so much she wanted to say, but his words left her completely speechless. She had come out here to reassure him of his place in this world, yet, somehow, he always ended up reassuring her, instead. Slipping her arms around his neck, she held him close.

"You're going to crush your crackers doing that, you know."

Laughing at his aptitude for the insignificant during a significant moment, she pulled back. "Well, if you hadn't eaten the others ..."

"I got hungry waiting." Standing, he offered a hand. "Come on. Show me more of this crazy place before we have to head back to that stuffy meeting."

"Okay." Grinning, Yuna hopped up from the bench and pulled him along. Tidus, however, didn't budge, and her own momentum swung her off-balance back into his arms. His stubborn trick made her laugh again, but when he turned her around after catching her, she quieted, meeting his deep, blue eyes. They closed as he leaned forward, and his lips brushed hers ever so softly before opening for a more passionate endeavor. She could see him, hear him, touch him, ... taste him. He was real. How dare anyone say otherwise and make him doubt himself. She whimpered slightly, not wanting the kiss to end as he pulled away. They had such precious, little time alone together. Reaching to his neck, she sifted the ends of his fine, sun-streaked hair through her fingers and stood on her tip-toes to see if she could steal another kiss like the first, but a few not-so-distant giggles caught her attention. Tidus and Yuna looked toward the small cluster of autograph seekers that still stood nearby.

"Does this look like a carnival kissing booth? Get out of here." Tidus gestured for them to shoo, but that only made them giggle more. Looking back to Yuna, he shrugged with a sigh. "Well, guess it's a good thing I didn't reach for your butt."

Yuna gasped, blushed, and gave him a small push for being so blunt. Tidus laughed, but she loved the sound of his laugh. It was even more contagious than his smile.

"What?" he protested with innocence. "I didn't!"

Shaking her head in amused embarrassment, she took his hand again. "Come on, you. Before you get us into any more trouble."

Tidus was still chuckling to himself as they passed the snickering children. Finishing off the last of the sweet crackers, they chucked the empty wrappers into the trash bin. Then, they strolled together under the blossoming trees that lined the path leading further away from the temple.

Yuna spent the rest of the day showing Tidus how to travel within Bevelle, using the lifts to navigate the canals leading to different levels within the city. She took him to the shopping district and the manor home district, explaining to him which parts of the city had been rebuilt in the wake of Sin's attacks. Time slipped away until she realized the sun was beginning to sink over the horizon. It was time to face the music again about why they had come here.

When they finally made their way back to the temple and returned to the conference room, no one was there, and the crate of spheres was gone. "Could you tell us where Praetor Baralai is, please?" she asked of a passing priest.

"The meeting was adjourned, Lady Yuna. He's probably in his study. Do you still need to speak with him?"

"Yes, please."

"This way." The priest led her down a long, curved corridor and stopped by a door to knock.

"Enter." The call came from within.

The priest pushed open the doors and bowed before the praetor. "Lady Yuna and her escort to see you, Sir."

Baralai nodded and waited as the priest backed away. Yuna and Tidus entered his study. Three New Yevon staff members in the room looked up with blank expressions. "Excuse us, please." Baralai dismissed them. Removing the green outer coat of his temple attire, he draped it over the back of the chair at his desk. He looked more relaxed in his cream-colored linen shirt and pants, but he didn't seem to feel that way.

"We shouldn't have abandoned the meeting," Yuna began. "We just needed some space for a short time. Please forgive us." Folding her hands in front of her gown, she bowed at the waist.

Tidus hesitantly copied her formal apology.

))((

Baralai's dark brown eyes bore into the skull of the sun-bleached, golden head beside Yuna's mouse-brown, shaggy cut. Then, without a word to either of them, he retreated to the bar at the back of the room to pour himself a drink.


	4. Chapter 4: Friend or Foe

Chapter 4: Friend or Foe

Baralai finished his drink without inviting the errant representatives of Besaid to join him. Then, he set down the glass and tightened the yellow belt worn over his white hakama. "You left without assigning guards for the sphere vaults."

Yuna straightened from her bowed position. "I'll sign it now."

Tidus followed her cue to straighten, but as he lifted his chin, his eyes met the dark, smoldering glare of the quiet praetor.

Baralai showed them a logbook filled with official ribbons holding the signatures of all the parties in attendance at the Bevelle council, except one. "We will have to schedule another meeting since this one was interrupted," he added as he offered it to her, along with a pen. "The treaty for the construction of a sphere library over Zanarkand has not been signed, either. There was ... indecision on whether to carry on without you, or not."

"I'm so sorry." Yuna accepted the admonishment without argument. Ashamed that her quick exit and latent return had caused problems for the others, she sat down in a chair to read the contract. "Tidus has never been to Bevelle before except to crawl around in the dungeons. I was worried he'd get lost." It was a weak excuse for skirting her duties, but it was an honest one.

Baralai's gaze remained on Tidus, careful to keep his distance. "Yes, well, that is the other matter that brought negotiations to a halt. It's an amazing coincidence that your guardian happens to be a spirit from Zanarkand that looks like Shuyin, don't you think?"

Yuna paused reading but did not look up. "He's not Shuyin."

Tidus felt he needed to break his silence. "Shuyin is ..." Once he opened his mouth, however, he almost couldn't bring himself to say what he intended. "He's ... my brother."

Baralai's eyes narrowed with skepticism. "Brother?"

Tidus nodded in reluctant confirmation. "Yeah."

"Then do you walk Spira with the same desire for revenge that he did?"

"I don't want revenge on anything." He stepped toward Baralai, but the praetor cautiously stepped back. Tidus's brows drew together in pained frustration. The ruined meeting meant nothing to him, but he so badly wanted to be believed on this matter. "I just want to be with Yuna."

Baralai touched his headband as if soothing a headache. "Lady Yuna, forgive me if this sounds rude, but ... don't you find it disturbing that dead men seem to have a fascination for you? First Maester Seymour, now Shuyin's _brother_ ..."

Yuna looked up with a hurt expression. "Tidus is not dead."

"Yet coming from a thousand-year-old illusion, he can't really be alive, can he?" The praetor glanced at Tidus. "Just like with fiends, the magic holding him together makes him look real; but no matter how alive he looks, he's still a spirit. Restless spirits _become_ fiends. The only difference is spirits still have their human forms, and in some ways that makes them more dangerous than the monsters they eventually turn into. You know this because you've fought them - you fought_ him_. He killed an entire squadron of elite Crusaders by having them massacre _each other_. He made my friend try to kill me and took over my body and mind, so I was nothing but a puppet! Then, he tried to destroy all of Spira!"

Yuna stood, clenching the pen in her hand. "That was Shuyin!"

Realizing he was acting more temperamental than normal, Baralai made himself calm down. "How can you expect me to welcome an unsent spirit into the council? I find myself wondering if he should even be allowed to walk freely within the city. Summoners and priests … it's our responsibility to send the reluctant spirits of the dead to the Farplane where they belong."

"No one's going to be sending him; he's not dead," she defiantly repeated. "He won't hurt anyone because he won't change."

"An unsent spirit can't help but become a fiend." The soft-spoken young man turned away from them, walked to his desk, and sighed. "I don't want him on your guard roster. I don't care who else you sign for duty at the temple ... but not him."

Upset that Tidus had to hear that, Yuna looked to him for input.

Tidus pressed his lips together, holding his tongue to prevent himself from saying something he would regret.

She looked back at the contract in her hand, then set it on the desk and wrote out the names of the people recommended for guard duty. When she finished, she scrawled her name across the red ribbon marked for Besaid. "We are sorry to have disturbed your peace of mind. We can talk more about this at the next meeting."

After bowing to the young praetor's back, she headed for the door, then paused, hurt. "By the way, let's not forget I did have at least one other engagement with a man from New Yevon who was very much alive. It seems the name Yevon has more to do with my cursed engagements than restless spirits."

Baralai faced her with a soft, unmasked expression of apology. "Yuna … I assure you, that is one engagement I will never forget. Forgive me if my concern over this makes it sound as if I didn't …" He looked to Tidus and decided it was best not to finish that statement.

Tidus wondered what they were talking about.

"I hope you know that I have always had your best interest at heart," the praetor added to Yuna.

Still hurt, she said nothing more.

Baralai picked up the signed document and looked at the list of guards from Besaid under Yuna's signature. "Tidus," he read aloud the last name and dropped the contract on his desk in disgust.

Unapologetic for having defied him, Yuna left the room.

Falling back into his role as guardian, Tidus silently accompanied the former summoner back to the airship.

))((

"How'd it go?" Rikku eagerly asked as Yuna and Tidus climbed the stairs to the cabin's loft. She had been on her bed reading a comic but closed it over her finger to hold her place.

"It went," Tidus grumbled. Heading straight to the futon, he shoved his pile of blankets aside and sat down.

"Uh-oh. I know that tone." Rikku rolled onto her stomach. "That tone means something didn't go well."

"Baralai and Nooj recognized him as Shuyin as soon as we walked in the door." Yuna ascended the stairs slowly and stopped at the end of Rikku's bed. "We had to explain some of the reason behind his connection to Zanarkand, too. Kimahri stood by him, but the rest don't seem to want him on the project now."

"You can't really blame them, you know. After everything that's happened ..." Paine was sitting cross-legged on her bed, meditating but alert to the conversation.

"I know." With a sigh, Yuna dropped onto her own bed. "I just wish they'd give him a chance before jumping to conclusions. We really need his input on this. Kimahri's going to be in charge of building it, and he wants blueprints from a real Zanarkand building."

"Does such a thing exist?" Paine asked.

"Probably not. They're going to see what they can reconstruct from the spheres, but Kimahri wants Tidus to try to remember some of the interiors."

Tidus pulled his golden plate from his pocket and touched the sphere that changed his dark knight armor back to his more comfortable Besaid shorts and tank. When he looked up, all three women were looking at him with unspoken concern. "I didn't want to attend their stuffy meeting anyway, so I'm okay with whatever they want to think of me." Shrugging, he pulled his feet underneath himself to sit cross-legged on the futon.

"That's not true, or you wouldn't have left the meeting. … We need your help," she repeated.

"I can't make any promises about my memories of Zanarkand. It's full of holes, remember?"

Paine rose from her bed, crossed the floor, and stood before him. "If you want to try and win them over, talk to Gippal."

"Gippal's not crazy about him being there, either." Yuna removed her garment grid from her handbag and touched a dress sphere to change from her formal gown to her gunner shorts.

"After Gippal met him at Djose, I thought they hit it off pretty well." Paine sat down on the arm of the futon frame, extending one leg and tucking the other beneath her.

Yuna sighed again. "Yes, but I think finding out he was from Zanarkand weirded him out a little."

Rikku crossed her airborne ankles behind her and put down the comic to dangle her arms over the side of her bed as she spoke to Tidus. "Just talk to him and explain things. If anyone could be won over on your level, it's Gippal."

"I don't care about winning them over," Tidus insisted. "I'll help Kimahri if he needs me, but other than that, I'd just rather play ball."

"Well, then you don't have to go to the next meeting." Yuna clearly felt guilty about dragging him along to this one.

A slow smile drew across his lips. "Can I still meet you afterward for some sweet crackers at the fat man statue?"

Rikku wrinkled her nose. "Fat man statue?"

Yuna smiled at Tidus. "I'd like that."

"Want us to talk to Gippal, anyway?" Paine asked.

Yuna nodded. "If you think it will help."

"We'll do what we can."

Tidus stood and gathered his blankets in his arms, only to realize the ones in the crates had been left in Bevelle. "Well, that's fewer blankets between my back and the engine room floor."

"Hold it right there, you." Yuna stood and took the blankets, depositing them back on the futon. "You're sleeping here tonight." After boldly declaring that, however, she faced her friends with hesitation. "If it's okay with everyone else, of course."

Paine shrugged. "Fine with me. I was wondering how long he'd be able to stand that engine room."

"Surriffic!" Rikku absently bumped her heels together and grinned in a teasing manner so that her dimples showed. "It will be like having a big slumber party to have someone new up here! We can share gossip, fix your hair, and play practical jokes on you in your sleep."

For a split second, Tidus was horrified. "Okay, that's it. I'm going back to the engine room." He side-stepped around Paine and Yuna to make his escape.

Yuna caught his shirt before he could get far. "Nope. You're staying right here." Reaching underneath the futon's frame, she started to pull it away from the wall.

Paine bumped Tidus out of her way and pushed the tea table aside. Then she grabbed the other side of the futon to help Yuna. The rest of the frame dropped into place without a hitch.

"Do we get to put more sleep spells on Brother so he won't notice?" Rikku asked.

"The thought does have its appeal." Paine helped Yuna fold the blankets, leaving one aside. "Too bad we can't knock him out during the daytime with some, as well." Lifting the stack, she turned away to put the rest in a chest.

Curious, Tidus followed. "When he was possessed by Shuyin, Nooj shot you, too, ... didn't he?" He held the chest lid open for her.

Paine paused at the unexpected question, then pressed the blankets into the chest. "Yes."

"Then, ... how come you don't hate me like they do? You didn't even freak when you met me."

Paine was quiet for a moment before answering. "Maybe it's because I was with Yuna the whole time she was searching for you. Or, maybe it's because you remind me of simpler times." She seemed sad about it somehow.

Feeling awkward for asking, he snorted in amusement to make up for prying. "You're saying I'm simple? Is that a compliment or an insult?"

"Depends on whether I find you annoying at the moment, or not." She returned to her bed.

Tidus closed the lid of the chest, just as Brother came into the cabin and sat down at the bar below the loft. "Barkeep, I would like anything tall and cold." He slapped a hand on the counter. "It is for celebration! The hoverbike repair is nearly finished."

"Coming riiiight up." The hypello lifted himself from his stool and slowly made his way to the drinks.

"Brother?" Yuna leaned over the loft's rail. "I've signed the Gullwings for guard duty in the temples where they will be keeping all the spheres until the library is built. Nooj doesn't trust Baralai to be the sole keeper of the spheres. Can you please pass that along to Cid and Buddy? Shinra's a little young, so he's the only one I didn't volunteer."

Brother accepted a glass from the hypello and left the bar to ascend to the loft. "I will let them know as soon as I go back to the bridge. How was the meeting?"

Yuna repeated the highlights and the low points for everyone, this time with more detail.

Brother frowned and rubbed his chin, considering the tension over Tidus. "You want I should talk to Gippal for you? I mean, sure Tidus is nothing but illusion, but he has knowledge of Zanarkand that could help."

Tidus's expression flattened at Brother's biased opinion of him.

Rikku clamored off her bed to face her brother. "Stop saying things like that! Could you do this to an illusion?" She gave Tidus's shoulders a jarring shake. "Or this?" She gave his arm a pinch.

"A-tch!" Tidus gave her a mild frown and returned the gesture.

"Ouch!" Rikku frowned right back at him. "I'm trying to help."

"By shaking and pinching me?"

"You'd rather I tickle you?"

"I'm not ticklish."

"Hmpf. " She dug her fingers into his ribs.

An involuntary chuckle escaped, but Tidus pushed her hands away and moved to the other side of Yuna, using her as a shield between himself and the hyper Al Bhed girl. "Man, you've got some stiletto fingers." He winced and rubbed his side.

Rikku turned her attention back to her brother. "If he's nothing but an illusion, how come you make him sleep in the engine room instead of up here?"

Brother blinked at the unfolded futon, registered shock, then marched toward Tidus. "Who told you that you could sleep up here?"

Tidus grabbed Yuna's arms and pulled her between himself and Brother. "Now's a good time to have that talk with him." He was happy to let her do the explaining since it was her idea. Brother had a habit of listening to her instead of him, anyway.

Yuna laughed with mild embarrassment being put on the spot like that. "Well, see, his back is hurting because it's been two weeks in the engine room?"

"He is in the engine room because I know what he thinks!" Brother tapped his own mostly-bald head.

Tidus folded his arms across his chest. "Well, if you know what I'm thinking, then you must be thinking it, too."

Brother leaned over Yuna's shoulder, nose-to-nose with Tidus. "I do not think what you think. I would never think such things about Yuna."

"What things?" Tidus challenged.

"Things you should not be thinking!" Brother shook his fist at him, face turning red.

"Brother, I appreciate your concern," Yuna interrupted, "but I trust Tidus."

"Hear that?" Tidus grinned. "She _trusts_ me."

"Two years ago, I trusted him with my life when we traveled together. We all did. I want him to travel with us like that again - as one of us - a member of the crew. Do you understand?" Yuna asked of Brother, trying to break it to him gently.

"That does it! I hereby declare Tidus, an official member of the Gullwings!" Rikku happily announced. "That means he gets to have his own space inside the ship." Hands on hips, she dared her brother to challenge her.

"My own space," Tidus repeated, giving Rikku an appreciative pat on the back.

Brother was aghast. "You can't make him official! I am the captain! That's my job! You are nobody but a pest!"

"Well, we could always just hurt him really bad, if he does anything stupid." Paine rose to her feet, removed the long-sleeved waistcoat over her tank, and approached Tidus as if sizing him up.

Tidus eyed the taller warrior-woman's gesture with flat tolerance … but then took a discreet step back after noting her slender, but well-sculpted, arms. Paine was every bit as soft and feminine as her smaller friends, but he'd seen her fight during their trek through the Thunder Plains on their way to Guadosalam. And she had been a ruthless contender in their blitz games on the beach.

Brother considered Paine's ability to kick high and hard. "Fine! I give you permission to sleep on this deck," he begrudgingly agreed. "But if you don't stay in your space, Paine has orders to punt you like blitzball!" Still not happy about it, he left his decree at that and headed back down to the bar.

"Yahoo!" Rikku jumped on her bed and did a little dance. "You're one of us now!"

Yuna wagged a finger at Tidus in mock scolding. "Hear that, young man? You're not to step one foot away from that futon for any reason - _ever_." She laughed at the quirked brow she received in response and hooked her arms around his neck. "That means no fading away again. Captain's orders."

"Knowing Brother, he'll insist on chaining me to the frame."

"Why use a chain when there's still plenty of duct tape?" Paine adjusted the long, flowing hakama and tank from her samurai sphere.

Tidus laughed uneasily. "Hey, you were kidding about that hurting thing, right?"

"If that's what you want to believe." With a thin smile, Paine gave his cheek a light pat and returned to her bed to retrieve her waist jacket.


	5. Chapter 5: Double-Edged Fame Sword

Chapter 5: Double-Edged Sword of Fame

Wakka paced outside of the locker rooms at the Luca stadium. "Where is he? He's going to be late."

"Calm down, Wakka. You're acting more nervous about Tidus making it to the game on time than you did when you were waiting for your son to be born." Lulu bounced the cooing baby in her arms as his tiny hand reached to grab and pat her face.

"They can't start the game without him. If he's too late, the Aurochs might have to forfeit, ya?"

"Well, wearing a hole in the carpet won't make him arrive any sooner. I say we go ahead and take our seats. He'll get here when he gets here."

Wakka sighed in defeat and headed up the stairs with his wife following behind when, at the top landing from the locker rooms, he spotted a crowd of children clustered around a familiar golden-blond head. Tidus was cheerfully signing blitzballs and paper scraps, as well as demonstrating a few showy tricks like spinning the blitzball around his hand and torso. Wakka's jaw dropped open in disbelief. "What the heck are you doing?" He stormed toward him. "You're supposed to be in the locker room getting ready to go out to that sphere pool! They're gonna turn on the water canons any minute now!"

"Oh, hey, Wakka." Tidus flashed an easy-going grin. "Like my new threads?" He paused between signings to spread his arms wide and turn around, showing off his new team uniform - baggy yellow chaps over washed-out navy pants, topped by a waist-wide belt with shoulder straps in place of a shirt, complete with sandals. "I'm going to raise a complaint about the sandals, though. They'll never hold up to the Jecht shot. I might as well play barefoot."

Wakka nearly choked on his next words. Tidus finally looked the part of an official Aurochs team member, rather than a temporary contract. And except for his sun-streaked hair, he reminded him of his long-lost, little brother, Chappu. Once that moment passed, however, Wakka remembered why he was angry. "Get into that locker room before I pound you into a clam!"

"All right! All right! Jeeze, if I'd known you were going to pop an artery over a few autographs, I would have never named you coach." He gave the large man a teasing glance. "Last one, okay? We gotta build a fan base all over again." Tidus turned to a small boy who was bouncing up and down, trying to stretch his blitzball over the head of a taller boy in front of him. "What's your name, kid?" he asked as he accepted the offered item.

The small boy was jostled to the front. "Tura."

"Okay, Tura, I want to see you go crazy up there when I make a goal. I want to look up in the stands and see you bouncing off the walls waving back at me. Got it?"

"That's quite enough! Give the ball back to him this instant," a stern-faced woman who strongly resembled the boy demanded.

Tidus finished his wild signature and looked up to see who was scolding him this time. "Just signing his blitzball, Ma'am."

She reached over the boy's head and snatched the ball from Tidus, giving him a wary expression. "I don't know why in the world they're even letting someone like you play. Stay away from my son. And stay away from these other children, too."

Tidus's brows knit together in confusion. "Excuse me?"

"I know what you are. And I'm surprised someone hasn't done something about it by now."

Wakka was just as confused about this woman's unfounded hostility as Tidus was. "What are you talking about? You got a problem with our new captain, lady? My boy here is the finest blitz player you'll ever see. He may deserve to be skinned alive for being late to his first game, but he was just doing something nice for your kid, ya?"

The woman snorted cynically and shielded her child away from them. "Then he'd have to be alive first, wouldn't he." Taking her child's hand, she hurried toward the stadium's main entrance. In spite of his mother's reproach, Tura tucked his blitzball under his arm, looked over his shoulder, and grinned at Tidus, grateful for the signature.

Tidus blinked at the small faces that still surrounded him. "How did she know?" Thrusting his arms in front of himself, he checked to see if he was fading. But his skin was still corporeal, so he looked to Wakka in bewilderment. "How did she know?" he repeated, slightly more desperate for an answer.

Stunned by the woman's declaration, Wakka shook his head and swept his hands as if to clear the air. "Okay, you know what? Shake it off, man. Nothing's happening to you. She's just one strange lady among an entire stadium of people waiting to see you play. Signing that kid's ball made his day. You saw that smile on his face, ya?" He waved to the children to indicate they had to leave and then pushed Tidus back toward the locker rooms by guiding his shoulders from behind.

Lulu waited at the stairs where Wakka first spotted Tidus doing the autograph session. "It's about time you got here. That uniform suits you." She shifted the baby to her shoulder.

Wakka paused by her side and scratched the side of his nose as he lowered his voice. "Hey, uh, have you heard of anyone passing rumors around about him being ... you know ... not real or anything?"

Lulu's brows rose in mild surprise. "I've heard a few people talking about him playing here two years ago, but I haven't heard anything like that. I don't see how anyone but us would know." The hem of Lulu's skirt shuffled against the rug as she moved before Tidus. "You look worried. You've never looked worried before a game."

"How could some strange woman that doesn't even know me, know about me like that?"

"It is odd. Don't try to figure it out right now, though, or your game might suffer from your distraction. I'm going on up. Make us proud." She smiled and walked away.

"I'll be up in a minute," Wakka told her as he opened the locker room door and herded Tidus inside. The rest of the Besaid Aurochs gathered around as they entered. "All right, listen up. He gave me a few gray hairs about it, but I found your captain. Now, I want to see you guys go out there and bring home a win!"

Still Concerned, Tidus looked down at his hands again.

"Uh, Tidus?" Keepa nudged him with an elbow while everyone else formed a huddle around him.

"Oh, right." He put his hand over theirs and tried to shake off the strange experience as Lulu and Wakka recommended. "What do we want?" he called.

"Victory!" they shouted.

"How are we going to get it?"

"Play hard!"

"Then what time is it?"

"Time for Besaid Aurochs to kick some ass!"

"Wha- uh?" Wakka couldn't believe his ears. "You changed my pre-game cheer?"

"Thought that one up myself." Tidus grinned, slapped his friend in the gut, and jogged out of the room with his teammates amid motivated hoots and howls. Time to ascend to the sphere pool.

"You little brat, you just cursed us! Don't you know it's bad luck to change a pre-game ritual?" Wakka shook his fist at Tidus's back and left through the door in the floor of the arena. "Spoiled Zanarkand runt ..." Wakka gave up trying to throw out advice and headed in the opposite direction to the stadium's main entrance.

As he jogged up the steps between the seating sections, Wakka spotted Rikku waving both arms wildly above the crowd. No sooner had she drawn his attention to where they were seated, than the opening music of the games began, and the water canons blasted crisscrossing arcs within the bubble of magic that set the perimeters of the sphere pool. The gravitational support arm that sustained the magical boundaries swept a full rotation over the entire arena, and the levitating scoreboard overhead blinked to reset the start of a new game. The announcers welcomed visitors to the city of Luca and began spouting game statistics of the past several years over the loudspeakers. Food and balloon vendors wandered the wide aisles, and the blitzball players ran out to wave at their fans from the bottom of the large bowl-shaped floor of the stadium. While the demi-globe of water continued to fill, the athletes jogged around the catwalk at the base. Wakka hurried to his seat.

"Go, Aurochs! Woo hoo!" Rikku blasted in Wakka's ear as he squeezed past.

"Ah! Tch!" He rubbed his ear with a wince, but then smiled at Yuna as he claimed the seat between her and Lulu. Turning to face the game, he cheered and clapped for his team. "All right, Aurochs! Look sharp! Look sharp!"

"Was he nervous?" Yuna asked as loud as her soft voice would allow.

"Nah, he'll do fine!" Wakka was chuckling now at how optimistic Tidus had been heading out of the locker room.

Yuna beamed with excitement and waved at Tidus as he came around the loop leading his team. Putting her fingers to her lips, she let out the loudest, shrillest whistle she could produce.

))((

Above the screams, music, and roster of player names blasting through the arena, somehow he heard it. Tidus lifted his eyes to where she stood. All of his friends were there, cheering for him in their own special way. It was the first time in two years he had been able to do this. It felt like the first time in several lifetimes since he was able to take back what he had lost the night that Zanarkand was destroyed by Sin. Pushing back the swelling emotion, Tidus grinned from ear-to-ear and waved back. He was determined to win this first game for them.

When his run around the stadium ended, the music changed, and the players headed down into a tunnel opposite the locker room door in the bottom of the bowl. The tunnel echoed with the shuffle of feet and dripping water, and it curved up below the bottom of the pool. The noise of the crowd above sounded like thunder down here where the water amplified sound waves. Tidus cleared his mind of everything but his goal. As he approached the door glowing with teleportation glyphs, he drew a steady, deep breath. The result of years of serious training, a blitz player's lung capacity had been the envy of all other athletes in Zanarkand. He checked his arm guard one more time, then shoved his shoulder against the door, punching through it. Instantly surrounded by cool, crystal-clear water, his eyes took a moment to adjust. Instinctively holding his breath, he swam with the ease of a water snake and knelt on his platform position in the pool. Then he turned to hand-sign his teammates which strategy to implement first. Within seconds, the buzzer went off, the ball jetted into play, and Tidus broke into a blur of swirling bubbles and action.

))((

When the game was over, Wakka snagged Tidus by the neck as soon as he stepped through the door from the sphere pool. "Alright! You did it! You won!" He gave the young man's wet head a hard scrub and released him with a proud pat on the back. "I knew you could do it, ya?"

"You said I cursed the team." Tidus was exhausted, but happy with their hard-earned victory.

Yuna ran into his arms to give him a congratulatory kiss, even though he was soaking wet. She was getting used to his constantly water-logged condition after all his practices at the beach. Lifting the small medallion that hung over his silver necklace, she grinned at it with pride. "We'll hang it on the wall of the loft first thing when we get back."

"Better leave lots of space for more because this is just the first one," he boasted, pushing open the locker room door and entering. Yuna, Wakka, and the rest of the Besaid Aurochs filed in behind him, each one congratulating the others.

"We're going to the cafe to celebrate, so hurry and change, okay? Everyone else has gone ahead of us and is saving us some seats," Yuna told him.

Heading to his locker, Tidus popped it open with his fist in a rather punctual manner. "Did you see the set-up between Datto and Botta when Vuroja started to pass? They nailed him so hard I think he spun around three times!"

"Excuse me!" a call from the cracked door of the locker room interrupted as a serious-looking woman with large green eyes and a very pressed suit poked her head through. "I'm Sunsa from the Luca Com Sphere Station. I was wondering if I could have a quick interview with the Besaid Aurochs team captain?"

Tidus looked to Yuna, who smiled and bowed out of the way to let him have his turn in the spotlight. "Okay, sure." He reached for a towel from his locker.

"Where's Shelinda?" Yuna asked Sunsa.

"Lady Yuna? Oh, well, I guess I shouldn't be surprised to see you here. Shelinda is interviewing the losers. After all, we can't all have the winners." She chuckled at her own joke, patted her perfectly curled auburn hair, and chose her position to begin recording.

"Okay, we're on in three, ... two, ... " Her recorder flashed her _one_ index finger, then cued her to begin.

"Hello, Luca! Sunsa here with a live report from the blitzball stadium locker rooms. The Besaid Aurochs have just won their first league game after suffering miserable, record-breaking losses for the past two years!"

"Oi." Tridus frowned at her for bringing that up.

"Responsible in part for this victory is their new team captain, who - as I understand it - served as a stand-in contract player two years ago when they won their first tournament in _ten_ years. Could this mean another championship cup for the Aurochs?" She pointed the microphone at him.

"You bet!" He grinned and clasped his hand over hers, holding the mic away from his nose at a more preferable angle. "Datto and Botta played excellent offense. Keepa was right on the ball. Jassu and Letty - everyone stuck to their game today and played really well. If they keep working together and giving it all they got, we'll be bringing that cup home to Besaid!" He looked over his shoulder and gave a short applaud for his teammates who hooted with him. "The Kilika Beasts played well today, too - a good challenge for us to get back into the games. But I wanna see more fans from Besaid out there in the stands next time, okay?" He spoke emphatically and directly to the sphere recorder. "Besaid's going to make it to the finals, we're not going to invite you to our party afterward if we don't see you out there supporting us!"

Yuna smiled and laughed lightly behind clasped hands as he handled the interview with the energy and ease of a seasoned professional. She couldn't help but wonder if this was how it used to be for him - back in his Zanarkand.

"Tidus, can you tell us what you were doing during your two-year break from blitzball, and do you think taking that long of a hiatus from the sport in any way affected how you played today? It certainly didn't seem to affect that trick shot that you pulled off three times."

Yuna was worried for a moment when the initial answer failed him. He couldn't tell everyone he had been in the Farplane for two years. Without knowing him, the general public might handle the news of his origins the same way Baralai had.

"Well, I learned that trick shot from my old man, so I've been working on that non-stop since I was about five," he smoothly answered from the other end of the question.

"What's your secret to being able to master something like that?"

"Lots of falls." He flashed Sunsa his contagious grin. It worked. The reporter grinned back.

"Yeah, on his head." Wakka's comment from the back of the room drew chuckles from the rest of the team.

"So, is learning that shot similar to a gymnast learning a backflip?" she asked.

"Um, it _is_ a backflip." Tidus winked at her for stating the obvious.

"Oh, you're right!" The reporter blushed and laughed. "Silly me."

"The only difference is I have to kick a ball as I rotate." Tidus continued his easy manner of teasing as he dried his face and hair. "The ball is probably what confused you."

Sunsa waved a hand over her flushed face as she laughed again in embarrassment at her moment of dim-wittedness.

Wakka shook his head at Tidus's campy behavior and the way it whittled the professional reporter down to a puppy-eyed school-girl.

Yuna giggled at his ability to dodge the reporter's tricky questions.

"So tell me, Tidus, with all that practicing, how do you find time for a personal life? There's a lot of speculation floating around about what's going on between you and Lady Yuna." Sunsa gestured toward Yuna, caught by surprise at the back of the room, but continued to speak with him. "Looks like she came to see you play today. Are you two very friendly?"

Tidus looked to Yuna and smiled. "Ehh, ... define 'friendly.'"

"Well, there are reports that you were spotted together in Bevelle during the recent conference for the plans to build a new sphere library in the ruins of Zanarkand. And word has it that you're living with her on the Gullwings' airship now. Any plans for marriage or babies in the near future?" She turned the microphone back to him.

Tidus's eyes widened. "_Babies_?"

Yuna gasped, but then covered her mouth to prevent any further utterances of shock from spilling out.

"Ouch." Wakka chuckled at the unexpected interview detour.

The rest of their teammates laughed. Tidus winced and lowered his head, until the assorted comical and congratulatory pats on the back ended as they passed on their way to the showers.

"Did you attend the Bevelle conference as her escort, or are you, in fact, a member of the planning team because you're _from_ Zanarkand?" Sunsa persisted, turning the microphone on him again.

Tidus, Yuna, and Wakka all stiffened, holding their collective breath. As Tidus looked up in surprise, Yuna felt his apprehension. The puppy-eyed school-girl had turned back into a sharp reporter, and this time, charm would not substitute for an answer.


	6. Chapter 6: Cloister of Trials

Chapter 6: Cloister of Trials

"Who told you I was from Zanarkand?" Tidus asked, trying to be nonchalant about the invasive question.

"Well, it's all speculation, of course, but my sources say you attended the Bevelle meeting about the library in Zanarkand because you claim to be a former resident of the ancient city, back when it was alive," Sunsa answered. "Besides that, a couple of Luca Goers reported you once claimed to play for a Zanarkand team called the Aces. Can you confirm or deny those rumors?" The reporter held the microphone under his chin.

_ Abes _... Tidus crumpled his towel, dying to correct her. "I don't see what this has to do with blitzball," he returned with a smile.

"Well, you have to admit it's intriguing, if not impossible. But it does seem rather silly, now that I'm standing here in front of you. I mean, how could you tackle other players and kick a ball like that if you're unsent? Unless you're a fiend - and you certainly don't _look_ like a fiend." Sunsa laughed as if she were having another school-girl moment. "In fact, with that smile, you might end up as this year's poster boy of _Blitzball Illustrated._"

"Blitzball what? Look, I'm not unsent." He didn't care about anything else he'd said, as long as he could make that clear. "So, if you don't have any more questions directly related to the game, I have friends waiting for me to finish here." He excused himself with a hesitant, but polite, bow. Turning his back to the sphere recorder, he dug his clean clothes out of his locker and left for the showers.

))((

"Well, you heard it here, live in Luca. This is Sunsa, signing out." She smiled until the green glow within the magical fluid of the sphere faded, then sighed at her recorder. "Well, that was fun. At least he answered some of the questions. Not the mystery exposé I was hoping for, but maybe I'll get my raise anyway."

"Excuse me, Sunsa?" Yuna stopped her. "May I ask who's spreading rumors about Tidus being from Zanarkand?"

"Well, the source was anonymous, which I why I have to say it was speculative. But I will tell you the rumor started in Bevelle when you were seen together on the day of the meeting, and it slowly trickled down here to Luca. I'm not saying anything that isn't already yesterday's news. You know how word of mouth goes." She paused. "Um, ... I don't suppose you would be willing to give me an exclusive scoop on it?"

"Will you report exactly what I say instead of _speculation_?"

"Certainly, Lady Yuna." Sunsa gestured for the recorder to turn the memory sphere back on.

Yuna ignored the sphere recorder and spoke directly to the reporter. "Okay, then, what I have to say is this. Tidus was my guardian on my journey to defeat Sin. The guardians that traveled with me that day - we became like family. I couldn't bear the thought of losing any _one_ of them." She gave Wakka a warm smile, which he proudly returned. "Tidus took the job as the Aurochs new captain because Wakka asked him to do it, and they needed another player to be able to enter the games. He joined the Gullwings because we wanted him as part of our sphere hunting team. I do care for him very deeply, but neither of us is ready for the kind of responsibilities that the rumors you mentioned would push upon us. He's ... only just come home. Please, don't rush or distort things for him. He is many things, but he is _not_ unsent."

Sunsa nodded and signaled her recorder to turn off the sphere once more. "Well said, Lady Yuna. I'll broadcast your interview first thing tomorrow morning."

"Thank you, Sunsa." Yuna watched as the reporter and her recorder left. Then, she chewed her lip in thought and looked to Wakka for his assessment of the situation. He looked discouraged.

"Before the game, a woman out front wouldn't let her kid get close to him because she said she knew what he was - said he wasn't alive, or something to that effect." He scratched the back of his orange head and adjusted his wide blue headband, then he leaned against the wall. "Kinda freaked him out a little. Didn't set well with me, either."

"Who would do something like this? Who would give out that kind of information on him?"

"Has he made any enemies?"

"Well, he has had difficulties with Brother, but Brother wouldn't do something like this to get back at him."

"She said you were seen together in Bevelle. Got any old boyfriends there that would be jealous?" Wakka wriggled his brows.

Yuna shook her head. "No one that could have known anything about his being from Zanarkand." She started to pace, thoughtful, then stopped with sudden realization. "But everyone at the meeting knows about him now." Yuna turned to face Wakka. "Kimahri would never betray him, but the others ..."

"Who else was there?"

"Well, ... Tromell used to serve Maester Seymour, and he saw Shuyin possess Tidus for a short time in the Farplane. But he's been nice to us since Maester Seymour was sent … since the Guados' returned to Guadosalam."

Wakka rubbed his chin. "Maybe he's just pretending to be nice, ya?"

"Then, there's Praetor Baralai." Yuna paced some more. "He doesn't want Tidus on the guard roster for the library project. In fact, he doesn't want him on the project at all. He can't accept that Tidus doesn't need to be sent. And,… he has one more reason to dislike him, actually." But Yuna pressed her lips together rather than discussing it.

"Hmm, another possibility."

"Mevyn Nooj was the most outwardly uncomfortable with him looking so much like Shuyin. I don't know if he would ever try to get back at Tidus for what Shuyin did to him, but … well, … he does have aggressive tendencies about that sort of thing."

"What about Gippal?"

"Gippal didn't have any problems with him being at the meeting until he found out about Zanarkand. They're all afraid that he's a reincarnation of Shuyin."

"Well, from what you told us about this neo-genesis business, ... he kinda is."

Yuna frowned and shook her head. "Tidus would never do the things Shuyin did. He is his own person."

"But if he's part of Shuyin's soul, then ... he did. He just doesn't remember any of it." Wakka slipped his hands into the pockets of the dark blue pants that had been a part of his Aurochs uniform. He wore them with a simple white tank now that he was no longer a team player.

She shook her head again, refusing to accept that. "He doesn't share the darkness of Shuyin's soul to make those kinds of decisions."

"Yuna, I know Tidus acts like a bean head sometimes, but that doesn't make him all innocent, ya? Remember, he was able to kill his own father."

"Wakka, you are not helping." Yuna became angry. "You know he didn't do that out of spite or vengeance, even if he really wanted to in the beginning. He was rescuing his father, not punishing him."

Wakka sighed. "Well, I don't know what to tell you, but it sounds like he's made an enemy somewhere. And if I were him, I wouldn't take it lightly. If people begin to think he's some kind of unsent fiend, he could find himself in danger. People do strange things when they're afraid of something they don't understand, ya?"

"Then, what should I do about it?" Tidus asked from the doorway to the showers.

Both of them turned at the sound of his voice.

Yuna's brow rose in apology for the way they had been talking about him, debating what he was capable of doing as if he were some kind of ... "How long have you been standing there?"

"Long enough." He returned to his locker to get the rest of his belongings and then closed it. "It's okay. You're both kinda right, I guess."

Yuna sighed, seeing him so discouraged. Standing before him, she rose on her toes and gave him a kiss as her arms encircled his waist. "We'll worry about it later, okay? Let's go get some drinks at the cafe, and then we can go home to Besaid for dinner. We have some celebrating to do."

Tidus gave her a small smile. "I'm always up for a celebration and food."

))((

That night back in Besaid, the villagers who couldn't go to Luca were able to watch a replay of the Auroch's first win in two years on a new com sphere that Shinra built for them. It was larger than the other he had left there before, and it had a holographic projection feature, so it was like watching the game live.

"Do I really look that dorky when I throw a pass?" Tidus winced at having to watch himself in action.

"Yes!" Wakka and Jassu answered with laughs as they piled logs on the bonfire behind them.

"You should see Rikku swim when she plays." Yuna laughed lightly and moved her hand in imitation of Rikku's trademark movement.

"Hey! At least I can hold my breath longer than _someone_ who sucked a whole bunch of water up her nose the first time she played a real game." Rikku cast a small pebble at Yuna's feet.

Tidus gave Yuna a reserved side glance, but it was clear he was holding back a snicker.

"Don't you laugh at me," she warned. "I worked very hard to learn how to hold my breath long enough to play a few rounds."

Rikku giggled at the memory. "She was sneezing all over the place after we pulled her out. And she has this really weird sneeze because she never sneezes just once. She sneezes like ten times, and each time sounds like a squatter monkey's squeak."

Tidus freely snickered at that information.

"Stop laughing at me." Yuna tried hard not to smile. "It's easy for you because you've been practicing all your life."

Tidus looked around their circle of friends. "Okay, who's got some pepper so I can hear this squatter monkey?"

"Ah!" Yuna swatted his shoulder and gave him a shove for his teasing.

"I'll get it!" Rikku jumped up and started to run toward Lulu's hut, but Yuna snagged her ankle and jerked her back down to the ground, plinking her pebble right back at her while everyone laughed.

They continued watching the rest of the game until the Aurochs scored their winning goal. Then, Wakka touched the sphere to pause it. "Alright, everybody, let's give it up for the Aurochs and their new captain!" He led a round of cheers from the villagers. The players bowed in appreciation and showed off the medallions they wore around their necks.

Tidus stood and cheered the team, too. "And let's not forget our coach, without whose early morning grumbles about fun runs this would not have been possible!"

"Heh." Wakka backed up and did a sweeping bow.

Going to his side, removed the medallion from his neck. "The one's for you."

Wakka straightened in surprise and accepted the medal. For a moment, he seemed to struggle with words but then bowed again in gratitude. "Thanks. I'll, uh, ... put it where Vidina can see it, next to the crystal cup we won two years ago." Sniffling, he held the medal high for everyone to see, and more cheers resounded from the village gathering.

Tidus grinned at the larger man's sniffles. "Need a tissue?"

"_No._"

"Looked like you were going to cry."

"Shut up. You're still in big trouble for being late to your first game."

Chuckles rippled around the gathering as Wakka returned to his hut to put the new medal on display with his other blitzball memorabilia.

"We worked hard to get this win. When do we get to eat?" Datto called out. More chuckles rose around the bonfire, and people began moving toward the tables filled with mouth-watering food displays.

"Want me to get you some?" Tidus asked Yuna, resisting his urge to run for a place in line.

"Yes, please. Only ... my size servings, not yours." She smiled so that her eyes nearly squinted shut.

"Right - spaces between the things on the plate. Want some pepper with that?" he playfully asked.

"Ah! Go!" Yuna pitched a handful of sand at his feet as he laughed and jogged away to grab some plates.

Standing in line, Tidus attempted to measure just the right amount of food onto Yuna's plate by eye-balling her portions compared to his, when some barbeque sauce splattered onto his white shirt. "Ugh. Really?" Stepping back, he removed the shirt and tucked it partially into the waist of his shorts to prevent further harm. Then he realized his entire outfit was a magnet for red sauce, shook his head, and lifted both plates to return to the bonfire.

After the food was eaten and the boisterousness calmed down a little, someone turned the sphere back on, and the interview that Tidus did after the game came on next. The laughs all fell into the right places of the campy segment ... until the end.

When the sphere was turned off, Tidus could have heard a pin drop. To the rest of Spira, he was supposed to have come from Besaid. But to Besaid, he was a visitor they welcomed without questions about his origins or purpose. His teammates wore the same expression as the rest of the villagers. They all wanted to know the same thing. Was it true?

"I remember you saying you played for a Zanarkand team, but we thought you just got too close to Sin." Keepa broke the silence. "Are you ... _really_ from Zanarkand?"

"Besaid is his home," Yuna answered before Tidus could. "He's one of us now. He's not unsent. Why can't anyone accept that? He hasn't done anything to deserve this kind of -"

"Yuna." Tidus quietly interrupted and gave her a pleading look. "If Besaid can't accept me for what I really am, no place will." He scanned the faces of the villagers he had come to know by name. "Yes, I really did come from Zanarkand," he answered Keepa. "But, not the real one. I'm from another Zanarkand created by the Fayth's dream magic. That's why I had to leave two years ago. When they faded, I had to go, too. I'm back because … I wanted a second chance at a real life."

Whispers and murmurs went around the gathering as the villagers considered this news and combined it with questions left unanswered about his mysterious appearances. He wasn't real? Why hadn't they seen the warning signs before now? If he was sent with the Fayth, didn't that make him unsent? What if he turned into a fiend?

Tidus lowered his gaze. He could have tried to explain it further, but it probably wouldn't have done anything to ease their minds. He wasn't real. He was a wandering soul, and that made him no different from the other spirits that refused to give up this world and rest in peace. When he looked up again, however, he was surprised to find Cid, Brother, Buddy, and Shinra looking sympathetic. Rikku and Yuna seemed worried. And Paine, Wakka, and Lulu were getting irritated at the paranoia they were overhearing. It was a mild comfort to know that if the villagers rejected him, at least he had friends who would not.

Lulu stood with her baby in her arms. "I cannot believe you people!"

"Uh-oh. Scary woman's back." Wakka mumbled as his wife confronted the entire village.

"Just a few minutes ago, you hailed him as a hero. Now you're calling him a fiend." Lulu clutched Vidina closer and moved to the front and center of the ring around the bonfire. "Two years ago, when Wakka and accompanied Yuna on her pilgrimage, Tidus stood by us every step of the way. I didn't like him either, at first."

"Oi." Tidus frowned and pulled the shirt from the waist of his shorts, dropping it in the sand beside himself.

"But he's proven his worth many times over since. In fact, I'm sure most of you haven't thanked him for it yet, but he's the one who struck the final blow to Sin!" The mutterings of the gathering intensified, but Lulu continued speaking over them. "He willingly completed the task that saved us all, knowing that it would end his own existence! He didn't come back from that fight because the Fayth took him with them, yet you accuse him of being unsent like those hollow souls that walk Spira after death and take revenge upon the living."

Tidus closed his eyes and tried to calm his anxious heart. He wished Lulu would sit down before she made things worse. To imply he was some kind of savior, or that the people of Spira owed him something for killing his own father was too much. Perhaps the Fayth had been wrong to summon him back from the Farplane. Perhaps he should go back before someone got hurt. Rising to his feet, he turned to leave.

"Tidus." Yuna grabbed his hand, a silent gesture begging him to stay.

Lulu marched toward him, grabbed his other hand, and pulled him toward the center of the gathering with her. "Hold out your arms," she instructed, positioning him with his back to the bonfire while keeping a safe distance from it.

Tidus shook his head at the futility of her attempt to change their minds, but he lifted his arms, palms up, reluctantly demonstrating he was not a ghost … or a fiend.

The black mage's intense, crimson eyes focused on him for a moment, then she placed her infant son in his arms and backed away.

Confused, Tidus watched her retreat. What would this prove? That he was solid enough to hold a baby? That he wouldn't attack it?

Drawing a steady breath, Lulu started to walk back to Wakka but stopped mid-way and gestured for him to remain seated and calm. "Fire!" The black mage raked her hand through the air as she spun back toward Tidus. Conjured flames whipped from her fingertips like a solar flare.

"Lu! No!" Wakka jumped to his feet.

Tidus turned away, shielding the infant from the spell. Then, wide-eyed and grimacing in pain, he stared at the mage as if she had lost her mind.

The crowd gasped in horror. "Are you _insane_?" someone shouted.

"Are you trying to kill your own baby?" cried another.

"He would never let me do that." Approaching Tidus, Lulu gazed apologetically at the burns she had drawn across his back, shoulders, and arms. Lifting the wailing baby from his arms, she showed everyone that Vidina was unharmed, other than having been startled by the sudden movement. Kissing the unhappy infant on his small head, she cradled him to her breast and whispered to Tidus with tear-rimmed eyes that betrayed her boldness at having done such a risky thing. "I'm sorry. But thank you for protecting my son. Consider it a Cloister of Trials, guardian. They will trust you more than they trust me now." Ignoring the controversy she had ignited, the black mage made her way back to her stunned and panicked husband.

"Tidus!" Yuna ran to his side and immediately cast several white magic spells on his burns to cool and heal them.

He shivered beneath the process, but as the black mage walked away, others rushed to his aid.

"How can we help?" Paine asked Yuna.

"Help me take him to that blanket and have him lie down on his stomach," Yuna directed.

"I'll get something cold and wet for his back!" Rikku started to run off to hunt down anything she could douse in water.

"Rikku!" Keepa threw her a small towel. "There's a cooler over there with melted ice in it."

"I go get fire extinguisher!" Brother ran back toward the ship.

"That woman has lost her ever-loving mind!" Cid fussed, scowling toward Lulu.

Tidus's heart was still racing from the pain and shock of the frightening test as Paine and Datto tried to help him toward the blanket Yuna indicated. Between the villagers and teammates encircling him with concern, Tidus could see Lulu trying to find comfort in Wakka's arms. He couldn't begin to comprehend the depth of faith she had in him to prove his trustworthiness like that. But Lulu's trial-by-fire, like the Fayth's cloister trials, served as a reminder that trust and respect could not be assumed, were not freely given, and should not be taken for granted. Only those capable of withstanding difficult tests when they truly matter are worthy of earning someone else's trust and respect.


	7. Chapter 7: Spunky Monkey

Chapter 7: Spunky Monkey

Alone on the ferry docks, Tidus watched the seagulls fly over the azure-blue sea. It was a hot, humid day, so though he had plenty of tasks he should have been doing, he preferred to sit, cooling his feet in the water, his mind replaying Lulu's fiery test from the night before. After several minutes zoning like this, he slowly became aware of footsteps running across the dock behind him. But they didn't sound ... normal. Giving up on guessing why, he looked over his shoulder. "A ... monkey?"

Not just any monkey - it was a monkey with bright orange fur, white bangs, and two blue-striped feathers on its head. Even its tail was striped. The monkey chattered wildly at him for a moment, then dug into his pockets.

"Hey! Cut it out!"

The monkey grasped a handful of gil and started to run away. Tidus reached for its tail, his quick reflexes snapping the tiny thief to an instant halt. The monkey, surprised at being caught, whirled on him. Jumping up and down all over his head and shoulders, the monkey chittered, scratched, and nipped with the energy of a miniature tornado.

"Ghiki! Ghiki, you leave him alone!" Rikku ran down the docks in a long, patchwork-yellow dress that looked too big for her. "Ghiki! You come here this instant!"

Tidus released the monkey, and it scampered away, leaping up her arms and climbing onto her head. There, it stopped and fingered the treasure it had claimed. Tidus stared at her as if she had just come from the moon. "That _thing_ belongs to you? It stole my gil!"

"Well, I'm trying to train him not to do it to everyone, but he doesn't know you yet." Rikku reached above her head for the monkey's hands and pried some of the coins loose. "How was he supposed to know you weren't a bad guy?"

"Maybe the fact that I was sitting here minding my own business?" Tidus stood, held out his hand for his money, and paused to count what she handed back. It was part of his first earnings from the blitz game win, and he wasn't about to let that creature keep it. "He's still got one." He reached for it himself, but the monkey screeched and turned around on Rikku's head to sit with his back to him.

"Ghiki, give it back." Rikku pointed to Tidus.

The monkey made a sound that sounded distinctly like a chirped "no" and curled into a comfortable position to play with the shiny coin.

"Rikku!" Paine called a short distance away. She, too, was wearing her trainer dress sphere and stroked a blue bird of prey that rested on her arm. They had been working together on training their familiars. "Gippal's here, so I'm taking him up to see Cid."

Tidus used the distraction to pinch his remaining coin from the monkey's paws, prompting the monkey to leap back onto his head with a most unhappy fervor. "Rikku! Get your creature off of me!"

Paine's chin tilted with interest as she watched Tidus attempt to catch and remove the monkey trying to box his ears. "Need help?"

Tidus finally pulled the squirming, noisy thing out of his hair and pried its tail from around his neck. "No, ... thank you." He thrust it back toward Rikku. "I have everything under control."

Paine smirked. "You can fight Sin, but you can't handle a monkey?"

Tidus frowned. "I can handle the monkey."

"Doesn't look like it."

Rikku's monkey scurried back to his perch on her head as soon as she took him into her arms.

Gippal arrived, stopping behind Paine's shoulder. "Are we going in, or not?" Unlike Paine, he was not amused and met Tidus with cool regard.

Paine looked over her shoulder at him, nodded, and led him back toward the airship.

"Hey, wait up!" Rikku ran after them.

Rubbing the sore spots where the monkey had pulled his hair, Tidus gave his head a dog-like shake and tried to finger-comb strands back into reasonable shape before returning to his previous lounging position. "Stupid monkey." He slipped the gil back into his pocket and lay back on the dock to watch the cotton-like clouds drift overhead with the seagulls.

))((

"Are you here to talk with Pop about fixing Spira's Heart?" Rikku asked, catching up to Paine and Gippal.

"Yep. Got the gear all ready to go to Bevelle, but we need to find out exactly where we're going and set up a plan on how to do it." Gippal took a long look at Rikku as he trudged through the sand behind Paine. "Monkey on your head - that's a new look for you. Personally, I thought the beads and braids were enough of a hair accessory, but you always were kinda weird."

Rikku ignored his teasing. "This is Ghiki. He's part of the magic from one of my dress spheres. I'm teaching him to help me fight fiends. He just happens to like shiny things, so he has a tendency to steal stuff."

The monkey chattered and studied Gippal keenly.

Gippal turned his sharp eye on the animal. "Don't even think about it."

Ghiki chirped and sank obediently into a curled position on Rikku's head, ... until she walked under the door frame of the airship's hatch.

Rikku heard the thunk when the monkey's head made solid contact with a low part of the frame and the squawk that followed. But when she felt the top of her head to see if he was okay, she spotted him behind her, laid out on his back in the sand. "Well, what'd you do that for, silly?" Not realizing her own absent-mindedness was to blame, Rikku picked up the slightly dazed animal and carried it on board in her arms.

"Cid and the others are up in the bridge," Paine told Gippal, as she grabbed Rikku's hand and pulled her aside. "You can go on up."

"Okay. Later." Gippal touched a finger to the sharp beak of her bird, drawing a throaty growl in response. Smirking at its warning, he continued the rest of the way into the airship on his own.

After he left, Paine got right to the point with Rikku. "We need to talk to him about Tidus."

"How?" Rikku cradled her monkey in her over-sized sleeves.

"I've got a plan."

"Hey, that's my line."

))((

Having dismissed her Flurry from training, Paine changed her garment grid to her thief sphere and sauntered down the docks one more time to find Tidus right where they left him, except this time he was lying flat on his back with his calves and feet dangling over the dock's edge. "You're not being very productive today, you know. Rebelling against Brother's chore list again? We all have to help around the ship to keep it running; you're no exception. Besides, it's good discipline for the mind and body, just like any other thing you have to work at."

Tidus opened one eye and squinted up at her. "I'm taking some time off to think, O Warrior-One. Can't I do that once in a while?"

"I suppose." She sat down cross-legged next to him. "Thinking about what Lulu did last night?"

"Yeah." He turned his gaze to the clouds overhead. "If I hadn't been quick enough ..."

"She knew what she was doing, or she wouldn't have done it. She called out the spell as a warning. She used the minimal force needed to make you act. And she fired in an arc to delay the hit long enough for you to turn away. She also knew Yuna was on hand to heal the burns."

"Still—"

" It was the only way to prove to the rest of the village how deeply she trusted you."

Tidus raised himself to his elbows, surprised that the normally silent young woman was taking the time and the initiative to talk about this.

"Not only did you _not_ hurt Vidina, but you also put yourself in the line of fire to protect him, … literally." She cast him a side-glance. "It will remind them that you used to be a summoner's guardian. It was a smart plan to persuade them to accept you, but it took guts."

"That's Lulu for you. Not so sure that it worked, though."

"Give it time. The villagers knew you as a friend before they knew you as a fiend. They'll remember that after what you showed them last night."

"Well, Yuna's not so sure. She's making rounds with the village elders, temple guardians, and anyone else that would be the most likely to protest my presence. She's explaining how I never really died, so I'm not unsent. I'm still alive, … even though I was never real. And yet, … I was. Kinda." He laid a hand over his chest where he imagined the core of his borrowed soul to be. "But if my soul comes from a dead person, maybe I am unsent after all, even though I'm no longer that person." Tidus sighed in discouragement at his confusion. "She does a better job of explaining me than I do."

"Is that why you're sitting here, moping?"

"I'm not moping. I'm thinking."

"Same difference." Paine lifted her eyes to the water's endless horizon. "It would mean a lot to her if you gave this Zanarkand library thing another try, you know."

"Nobody else wants me there."

"You might be able to swing Gippal in your favor." She turned her chin to look at him.

"He didn't seem interested."

"Well, it might take guts, but he knew you as a friend before he knew you as a fiend." A small smirk touched her lips.

Tidus's eyes narrowed as he wondered what she had in mind.

))((

After pausing in the lift to whisper something to Ghiki, Rikku wandered onto the bridge where Gippal stood with Shinra, Brother, Buddy, and Cid looking over the results Shinra and Buddy tested on the machina in the Farplane. "What'cha doing?" She leaned between them.

"Laying out a plan, Darling," Cid announced. "We're going to set up a major operation under Bevelle with stations to explore the core of Spira. Er, I mean, the ship. We have to locate the central processor for its AI to find out which functions can be shut down for repairs without throwing everything off-kilter. Don't want to flip the wrong circuit breaker and kill off our oxygen, or something."

"If you're not doing anything when we leave to work on it, we could probably use your help setting up," Buddy inserted.

"Sure thing. But how are you going to work under Bevelle and attend meetings above it, too?" she asked of Gippal.

Gippal shrugged. "When there's a meeting, I'll go to the meeting. The rest of the time, I'll be under the city working on Spira's core, or working with Kimahri Ronso on the library's structure. Operations at Djose are just going to have to slow down until Spira's repaired. But the good news is we might be able to use some of our research there to fix her."

"Oh. Hmm, I guess that's not going to give you much time for fun, huh?"

"Nope. Guess not."

"What a shame. You should make time for something fun with a friend before you go back to Bevelle, don't you think? I know! How about going hover bike riding in the Calm Lands. Nothing like wide open spaces to make you feel free and easy, right? I know someone who'd like to learn how to ride one," she sang, hinting.

Gippal set down the specs he was looking at and leaned forward on the console to look up at her. "Rikku, if I didn't know better, I'd think you were asking me for a date."

Cid loudly cleared his throat and gave his daughter a doubtful look. Brother started laughing loudly. Buddy and Shinra both chuckled at this development.

Rikku blushed. "Not _me_!" Within her voluminous sleeve, her fingers gave a crisp, but discreet, snap.

On cue, Ghiki grabbed the paper specs and ran out of the bridge with them.

"Hey! Come back here with those!" Gippal chased the monkey down the hall to the lift but missed getting into it as the doors shut. "Open up!" He banged a fist on the door. "Rikku!" he turned and scowled at her.

Rikku cleared her throat and took her time leisurely sauntering down the hall to join them. She paused a moment, giving Gippal and the other impatient men a "hmpf" over her shoulder before touching the button that would open the lift. Though it hadn't opened for Gippal, it mysteriously opened for her. After stepping into it, she was shoved aside and squashed by Brother, Gippal, Buddy, and Cid in a mad rush to go after the monkey that stole their valuable blueprints.

))((

"Get up." Paine stood and used the pointed toe of her shoe in Tidus's ribs to encourage him to do the same.

Tidus sighed and stood, slipping his hands into the pockets of his shorts as he followed.

"Still want to learn how to ride a hoverbike?" she asked as they strolled down the dock.

"Yeah, I guess so. They've almost finished fixing that one I busted, but they'll probably never let me on it again."

"Well, would you like to learn how to ride from an expert?"

Tidus snorted with doubt. "Are you volunteering?"

"No. I could teach you how to fight without swords, but Gippal's the expert on hoverbikes. He's got the same taste for high speed and sharp curves that you do, but he knows how to avoid rolling over a cliff into the rocks. If you were to do him a favor, he'd probably be willing to teach you, ... and help you deal with Baralai and Nooj at the council meetings. He's not a push-over, though. He's got an ingenious mind. You'll have to be clever about convincing him you're worth it."

Tidus was doubtful Gippal would ever agree to that, so he considered her other option. "Why would I want to fight without swords? Smack a drake around with Caladbolg a few times, and he's history."

"Hand-to-hand fighting is good to know when you find yourself unarmed, or when you want to defend yourself but not hurt your opponent. You could add it to your Besaid sphere. It's not being used for anything yet, is it?"

"If I'm in a fight, I'm probably going to _want_ to hurt my opponent," he sarcastically disagreed.

Paine nodded as if accepting his different perspective, but then she whirled around and slammed her boot into his gut. When he doubled, winded and in pain, she kicked him again in the shoulder to push him back. And when he threw out a hand to fend her off, she caught it and flipped him onto his back.

As a blitzball player, Tidus was used to getting tackled roughly - just not on a hard, wooden dock by a woman in two-inch heels. He groaned for a moment, then winced up at her.

"So, where's your sword?"

"I couldn't reach it because my arm was just ripped out of its socket," he complained before sitting up and giving his shoulder a careful rotation. "I think you just punctured my spleen, too."

"Are you sure you don't want me to train you in hand-to-hand?"

Tidus gave the silver-haired woman a suspicious stare. "What do you get out of it?"

She leaned over him, hands on her knees, with a subtle gleam in her crimson eyes. "Jecht shot."

Tidus chuckled and stood. "Are you wanting to improve your game or kill someone with it?"

"Both have their uses."

Both of them heard a distant chittering and looked up to spot Rikku's monkey scampering out of the hatch of the airship. It was racing across the beach with a large piece of paper in its hands.

Grabbing Tidus's hand, Paine dragged him with her into one of the small fishing huts near the boats and hid behind the blanket covering the entrance to peer around the edge. Tidus was about to question her strange behavior when she cut him off. "There goes your key to getting hover lessons and an ally at the conference."

Leaning over her shoulder, he peered out at the monkey scampering across the beach. "You've got to be kidding."


	8. Chapter 8: Friends and Fiends

Chapter 8: Friends and Fiends

Tidus and Paine remained hidden in the fishing hut, watching Rikku's monkey zig-zag across the beach with a large paper fluttering in its clutches. "Ghiki has something that belongs to Gippal," she explained. "Help him get it back, and it will give him reasonable doubt about you being Shuyin."

Straightening, he stepped back and blinked at her. "That is the _dumbest_ plan I've ever heard. Rikku came up with this, didn't she?"

She frowned. "_I_ came up with it. You got a better idea?"

"Anything else is better than chasing that monkey."

"It's just a monkey."

"That is not a normal monkey!" He tried to keep his voice down to avoid drawing attention to their hiding place. "That thing is Sin spawn!"

"You said you could handle the monkey." Paine reached over her shoulder, grabbed his shirt, and gave him a push to send him on his way.

He dug his toes into the sand and clung to the door of the sturdy tent, refusing to budge. "I'm not getting anywhere near that monkey again." Leaning against her, he tried to push his way back in.

"You have to be the one to bring it back!" she grunted, straining against his chest.

As if resisting a tackle in a blitzball match, Tidus put his shoulder to hers and stubbornly held his ground. "It stole my gil, … pulled my hair out, … poked me in the eyes, … bit my ear, … and stuck its fingers up my nose!"

She tried to get a different hold on him so she could wrestle him out of the tent, but he reversed his position and pushed her hands away. "Damn it, Tidus! If you can outwit your opposition in gameplay, you can outwit a stupid monkey!" Slamming her back against his, she braced her position and used her legs to help push him out the door.

"Naaaii-NO!" he growled, still trying to shoulder his way back in. But the more he resisted, the more, the more he began to snicker. And since humor is contagious, Paine found herself reluctantly snickering, too. A few seconds later, the snickers degenerated into giggles and then laughter. Not being able to break their stalemate, Tidus released his end of the push, toppling her to the sand. "Fine," he groused in surrender and extended a hand. "I'll go catch the stupid monkey."

Laughter subsiding, Paine accepted his help. But as she looked up, face-to-face, her attention unintentionally lingered, and her heart began to race. Tearing her gaze away, she stood, brushed the sand from her legs and hands, and tried hard to find something else to look at.

Unable to believe he agreed to this scheme, Tidus shook his head and jogged out of the tent.

As Paine watched him go, she felt a pang of guilt for having enjoyed his company more than intended. Deep down, she knew why, but groaned to herself and buried her head in her arms all the same. She would have to talk to Yuna tonight. Then, after taking a moment to compose herself, she jogged after him into the chaos. "What's going on?" she asked of everyone else, feigning innocence.

Rikku gave her a small wave and a sly wink. "Ghiki stole Gippal's printouts of Spira's core." She pointed to Gippal's back as he raced up the beach after the creature. "Tidus, since you're not doing anything important, you should help him get them back." Running after Brother, who had started to join the chase, she caught his arm to pull him back. "The rest of us should go back inside and keep working on the plans."

"This is your fault!" Brother argued with her. "You teach that monkey bad tricks!"

Rikku just grinned at Tidus as she pushed her brother toward the airship.

Tidus squinted at Paine with doubt.

"Yuna wants you at those meetings," she answered. "Good luck."

))((

When he caught up to the Al Bhed at the crossroads, Tidus scanned the area but saw no signs indicating which way the monkey had gone. "Maybe we can see him from up there." He pointed to some overgrown ruins on one of the hills above the beach. Without waiting for Gippal's response, he ran to a sandstone wall, sprang high enough to catch one of the vines, and pulled himself up over the edge. Brush, low palms, and more hills blocked a portion of the road, so he used another vine to climb to the top ledge. There, he spotted a little orange furball bouncing into the opening of a cavern he never noticed before. "He's going into a cave near the ruins up ahead!"

Gippal turned and ran in the direction Tidus pointed.

"Thanks, man. That was amazingly helpful. Don't mention it," Tidus muttered to himself as he hopped down from the ledge and sprinted after him. When he caught up the second time, Gippal was already inside the cavern.

The chattering monkey jumped up and down and flapped the paper in excitement, taunting them to come get it.

"Why you little ..." The Al Bhed lunged for the monkey, but it dodged and scampered away further into the back recesses of the cavern.

Gippal gave chase.

Tidus ran after them until they paused at a fork in the tunnel and wondered which way to go. "If we had a net of some kind, we could trap it. Want me to run back and get one from the fishing huts?"

"I don't recall asking for your help."

"You're not going to catch that monkey on your own."

"Yeah? Well, we'll see about that. I'll get those specs if I have to blast the furball to pieces." The monkey's chittering prompted them to turn left. Running down that passage, they found monkey at a dead end and cornered him. Gippal slowed to catch his breath and calm the monkey as he approached. "Okay, stay. Nice and easy ... There's a good monkey. Just hand over the paper, and no one will get hurt." Gippal tried to get as close to the paper as possible without startling the animal, then stretched out a hand.

Tidus shifted between flanking Gippal's right and left, in case the monkey darted past him, when a low growl put all of them on alert.

Gippal remained calm but did not straighten or turn. "There's something behind us, isn't there?"

Tidus winced and looked over his shoulder.

"Big, spotted cat? Long ears? Even longer whiskers?" Gippal guessed.

"Coeurl regina," Tidus confirmed. Beautiful to behold with their spotted coats of many colors, the large, feral creatures were a rarity on the island, but among its most lethal inhabitants. This time, however, a second cat's face appeared in the shadows behind the first. "Make that _two_ coeurl reginas, ... and one of them looks like it absorbed some fiends."

Gippal muttered a curse under his breath.

The monkey screeched and shot to Gippal's left.

Tidus tried to block, but it darted between his legs and sped past the large wildcats back toward the cave's entrance.

The cats weren't interested in the little monkey. Prowling forward with low growls, their gazes were fixed on the two young men still cornered against the back wall in the dead end.

"I'm really beginning to hate that monkey." Gippal slowly turned and drew his gun.

"Not half as much as I do." Tidus switched his garment grid to the guardian sphere and unsheathed Brotherhood.

Gippal fired one shot, but multiple magical pellets simultaneously targeted both cats. One of the coeurls faltered in pain but still leaped at the Al Bhed, knocking him onto his back before swiping across his chest.

Tidus skipped forward and thrust his sword into the cat's ribs before it could strike again at the young man trapped underneath. The beast staggered but then leaped onto Tidus, catching his other arm, which he raised to block as soon as he saw the attack coming. Tidus tried to pull free, but the coeurl's powerful jaws held fast. Behind them, he saw the second cat, glowing with the possession of fiends, and paled with recognition of the spell it had crouched to weave. Coeurl magic could paralyze and drain their prey without even touching them.

Rolling out from under the aggressive cat, Gippal fired one more shot before it slumped lifeless to the ground. Then he steadied his flame-colored revolver on the cat that remained.

"That won't be enough! Use the other one!" Tidus pried his arm from the dead cat's teeth.

Gippal fired with one hand while reaching for his larger gun with the other.

The possessed coeurl's unnatural body blinked, allowing the bullets to pass harmlessly through it. Then, a blast of magic rippled across the cavern, hitting Tidus and Gippal.

Suddenly weakened and almost numb, Tidus dropped to one knee but used his sword to prop himself upright.

Gippal fired the larger gun before falling to the ground, landing a solid hit to the cat's skull. That shot would have killed a normal coerul, but this one already stood beyond the threshold of death. The only one of the three left standing, the cat launched itself at its weakened prey.

With a cry of frustration and desperation, Tidus jumped up to meet it. Brotherhood pierced the cat's shoulder and cut through to its chest. The impact of the collision threw Tidus flat on his back beneath it, and the possessed coeurl regina's body remained skewered on Brotherhood's blade for a long moment before dispersing in a gush of pyreflies. Both young men took a moment to catch their breath and calm the adrenaline rush before assessing the close call for what it was.

"I smell a set-up." Gippal stood and holstered his guns. "Rikku's behind this, isn't she?"

"Paine's idea, but yeah, basically." Brotherhood clattered to the floor as Tidus pushed himself to sit upright and leaned back against the rock wall.

"Paine, too?" The Al Bhed's brow quirked as he reached into one of his pouches and produced two small bottles of healing potion.

"They wanted to convince you that I'm not Shuyin." Tidus tried to catch the bottle that was tossed in his direction, but it slipped through his fingers and shattered on the stone floor.

Gippal responded with a flat expression. Then, pulling a third bottle from his utility belt, the Al Bhed approached, took Tidus's hand, and placed the bottle firmly in his palm this time. "It didn't work."

"Do you honestly think I would have agreed to this crazy plan if I had a vendetta against you?"

Gippal drank his potion, then grimaced as the wounds on his chest beneath his torn shirt began to heal. "I think … Shuyin was a dangerous man when he got ticked off. And when they took his girl, that _really_ ticked him off. So, all of this aside, if what you said about coming back from the dream just to be with Yuna is true, it still makes sense that you could be him. Know what I'm saying?"

"So, I'm not allowed to be with Yuna just because Shuyin wanted to be with Lenne?" Tidus drank the blue liquid and winced as it burned down his throat, restoring his strength and partially mending his arm. Reclaiming Brotherhood, he sheathed it behind his back. "Yuna came in search of me. She's the reason the Fayth brought me back. My being part of the library project was her idea, and I don't mind helping if I can. But you, Baralai, and Nooj seem to have a problem with me being there, and someone's spreading rumors that I'm unsent because word got out that I came from Zanarkand. I just want to know who leaked it because it's had some ugly kickbacks already, and I don't want anyone to get hurt, … especially Yuna."

The Al Bhed shook his head after finishing off the last of his healing potion. "I saw the Luca interview, but Baralai and Nooj wouldn't resort to gossip. If they don't want you around, they'll tell you to your face and block you from entering the temple. You'll get a spear up your nose instead of a mic."

"Baralai almost did just that."

Gippal waved a hand of no concern. "Shuyin possessed us. He's understandably spooked. He'll be cautious around you until he's sure it won't happen again. He's protective by nature but easy to figure out if you know which buttons to push. Nooj... He'll be tougher because he's the opposite. Nooj throws caution to the wind because he thinks he's got nothing left to lose. But he's patient. He'll watch you like a hawk, waiting for an opportunity to swoop in and attack before you can convince him of anything. When he does, you need to be ready to beat him at his own game."

Tidus remained doubtful at the Al Bhed's subtle change of heart. "Then, ... you'll help me convince them I'm not Shuyin?"

Gippal moved to stand before him, giving him a once-over. "Well, the girls went through a lot of trouble to trap us into this conversation, so, whoever you are, they think you're worth listening to."

Tidus was amused at his assessment. "Or they just wanted to kill us."

Chuckling, Gippal hooked an arm behind Tidus's neck and lifted his chin as if envisioning something grand. "You know, Shuyin would probably insist on some kind of nasty payback for this."

"Well, I don't know about Shuyin, but I say the monkey goes down."

"Good answer." Gippal slapped a hand to Tidus's back and led the way back down the tunnel toward the cavern exit. "That monkey's going down."

))((

Yuna returned to the cabin after a long, hot day of visiting various people in the village to answer their concerns about Tidus's origins. Sitting down at the bar, she fanned herself with a napkin as the hypello came to her side.

"Can I get someshing for yoo, Mish Yuna?"

"A tall glass of ice water, please, Barkeep." She dabbed the napkin over the perspiration on her forehead.

"We have shome cold tangerinesh," he suggested.

"Wonderful. I'll take two."

Taking the barstool beside Yuna, Paine slid her arms onto the counter and folded her fingers between one another. "How'd it go?"

"Pretty well, I think. Once I explained as much as I could about Tidus's origins, most people were more fascinated than afraid. A few devout followers of Yevon's old teachings remain skeptical about his not being unsent, but no one insisted he should leave. Thanks to Lulu, I think Besaid is done with spiteful rumors. The cities worry me, though. Blitz fans might stop attending his games if they think he's unsent."

The hypello placed a bowl of quartered tangerines on the counter with two glasses of water.

"Thanks," Paine mumbled for his consideration of her presence, but she didn't drink or eat anything right away.

Yuna picked out a tangerine quarter and peeled the ends back, popping the cold, juicy treat into her mouth. "What have you been up to today?"

"Not much. Gippal came to discuss plans for the repairs on Spira's core."

"Did he say anything about Tidus being on the council, or what happened after we left?"

"No, but Rikku and I came up with an idea to sort of ... start a dialog flowing between him and Tidus again."

"Oh?"

Paine looked almost embarrassed to confess. "Rikku had Ghiki steal something from Gippal and hide it in some ruins, and I convinced Tidus to help him get it back."

Yuna laughed behind the back of her hand as she swallowed her juicy tangerine. "And how did that go over with them?"

"They haven't come back yet." Paine remained solemn. "Yuna... I need to tell you something."

Yuna's smile faded slightly at the vulnerability visible in Paine's eyes. Her friend was usually so private, … so reserved about her feelings. "What's wrong?"

Paine stared into her glass of ice water for a long moment before finding the appropriate words. "This afternoon, for just a moment, ... Tidus made my heart skip a beat."


	9. Chapter 9: Trial and Error

Chapter 9: Trial and Error

Careful not to let her shock show, Yuna turned her attention to the shell ring she wore. What did Paine mean by saying Tidus made her heart skip a beat? But that was obvious, wasn't it? "That happens to me quite a bit around him."

Paine leaned closer. "Yuna, I didn't mean for it to happen, and I don't think he was even aware of it. Nothing came of it. I swear."

"Then, ... why tell me?"

Paine sighed and glanced around the room to make sure no one else was eavesdropping, then spoke quietly. "Tidus makes me laugh. I mean he makes me _really_ laugh. And there's not many people who get to me that way. So, when he does, ... he reminds me of someone else."

"Laughter draws people together."

"This other guy, ... there was something about him that made me feel it was _okay_ to laugh and not take things so seriously, you know? He made it easy to have fun back then. But when things changed… I mean, he's still laid-back, but he's got scars now like the rest of us. He doesn't laugh so much these days. I miss it."

"Gippal?"

Dropping her chin into her hand, Paine swirled the ice in her water glass. "I just want you to know I don't have any feelings for Tidus. I would never try to ..."

"I know." Yuna clasped a hand over Paine's wrist. "And it means a lot to me that you would be honest now instead of allowing it to become distorted and painful later."

"I've offered to train him in hand-to-hand if he'll teach me that Jecht shot. But if you're uncomfortable with it, say the word, and I'll find an excuse to back out." Paine offered a bittersweet smile. "Like I said, I don't think he even noticed. But I'll be more aware from now on to prevent it from happening again."

Yuna laughed lightly. "You have that much self-control? When my heart flip-flops like that, it shows all over on my face."

"Well, if you want me to teach you how …"

"Maybe when this library project is done. But it's okay with me if you train together. He couldn't have a better martial arts trainer if it were Sir Auron himself."

Paine smiled and nodded at the compliment before noticing the time. "Speaking of … Tidus and Gippal have been gone a little longer than I thought they would. There are probably fiends in that cave, and though I thought they'd be fully capable of handling them, maybe we should check."

"Mh." Yuna took one more tangerine from her bowl before following Paine out of the cabin to the lift.

"Rikku, has Ghiki come back yet?" Paine asked as they passed her in the hall.

"No, I was going to ask if you'd seen him."

"We were just going to check on them."

Rikku agreed to go with them, but the trio returned to the cabin first, where Paine grabbed a charm bangle from a glass display cabinet. The charm's warding magic would keep most ordinary fiends away. Then the trio set off to see what had become of their plan to trap Gippal into working with Tidus. When they arrived at the cave, they walked from one end to the other without a single fiend bothering them along the way. But all that they found was the body of one dead coeurl regina, a shattered bottle of healing potion, and a lot of blood smeared on the cavern floor.

Rikku wailed at the sight. "What if they were eaten? Oh, this is all my fault! I shouldn't have told Ghiki to lead them in here!" Then, she paused and pointed to Paine. "Wait a minute. Technically, it's your fault this time."

Paine frowned. "Shut up; I'm thinking." After pacing a few steps, she crouched to study the wounds on the coeurl regina's body. "Bullet and sword wounds, so they were both here. If they were killed, Ghiki and Tidus probably disappeared without a trace because they're made of magic. But Gippal's body should still be here."

"Unless he was eaten!" Rikku wrung her hands and dropped to her knees behind the dead coeurl regina. "Gippal, please don't be in there!" She pushed lightly on the cat's ribs and belly, then pinched and pulled up its lip, trying to peer past the sharp teeth into its mouth.

"Maybe they're in the secret room at the front?" Yuna suggested, trying to stay positive. "Maybe there's another hidden room we don't know about."

They retraced the path to the front of the cavern, feeling along the walls to determine if they missed a hidden passage until they reached the one in the front and opened it with the code they had found before. There wasn't a stitch to be found of Tidus, Gippal, or Ghiki. So, the women split up to search the rest of the island.

))((

Down at the fishing huts, the Ghiki monkey found itself trapped under a heavy fishing net being dragged across the sand. It protested with loud chatters and tried to gnaw through the ropes, but the fine netting between the large cords only mashed its nose when it put its face up against it.

Tidus successfully pulled the monkey off the ground and held the little tornado at eye level. "So, how do we get him there? He's really ticked off now."

"I came by hovercraft. It's parked just in that little bend around the main beach. We can tie him to the back and fly out that way."

"Hovercraft?" Tidus grinned. "Would a hoverbike be any faster?"

"You got one?"

"No, but the Celsius does."

"Lead the way."

Tidus held the spitting, squirming monkey at arm's length as they walked back to the airship. But then the monkey started shredding the paper it stole.

"Aaahhhh! You freaky little bastard!" Gippal grabbed the net to rescue the paper that had already been dragged, crumpled, ripped, and blotched with seafoam during the chase. "Give me back those specs!"

"Don't let it out!" Tidus jerked the net away from him and opened it just enough for Gippal to reach in and snatch the shredded paper scraps before they became any smaller. Then he pushed the monkey back into the net and twisted it shut again before it could escape.

The monkey made faces at them, stuck out its tongue, and razzed them. But realizing it couldn't win, Ghiki then huffed and curled into a ball to sulk.

Growling under his breath, Gippal inspected the pieces of paper and marched onto the airship straight to the bridge. "Where's Rikku?" he demanded of anyone that could answer.

"Out looking for you, I think." Cid took note of the trapped monkey as he met them.

Gippal slapped the torn specs down on the control console for everyone to see. "Mind if we borrow the hoverbike for a quick trip?"

"We haven't tested it yet." Buddy lifted one of the paper scraps and winced at it.

"You _do realize_ I could have just printed out another copy." Shinra sat on his knees, looking over the back of his chair at them.

Sweaty, sandy, and still smeared in dried blood, Gippal and Tidus both glanced at him with mute disgust.

"You can take the hoverbike and run the tests for us, if you like," Brother suggested to Gippal. "Just go through all the gears and features at least once. Let us know what you think. Of course, if it breaks down on you, it's his fault." He pointed to Tidus. "He is not mechanically gifted, like me." He shook his head, pitying the blitz player.

"_Dryhgc_," Gippal thanked him in their native Al Bhed and turned toward the lift once more. Tidus followed, still holding the monkey in the net at arm's length.

"You want us to flag Rikku to come get her monkey before you go?" Brother asked. "We have communication links, if she wears it."

"Nope! You never saw us. This never happened," Gippal called over his shoulder as he and Tidus took the lift down to the engine room. From there, Gippal went straight to the refurbished hoverbike and threw off the dust cover. "Are they out there?" he asked of Tidus.

Tidus went down the airship's ramp and scanned the area. "Coast is clear!"

With a smug laugh, Gippal pushed the bike down the ramp onto the beach. Climbing onto it, he looked over the controls and charged the engine. "Hop on and hang on. It's going to be a bumpy ride."

Tidus grinned and secured the monkey's net to a bar behind the seat, then he climbed onto the bike behind Gippal.

The Ghiki monkey looked at the shiny chrome things within reach and tapped a finger at them as if wondering how to get them through the net. But when it suddenly found itself horizontal and speeding over the terrain, it let out a scream of surprise and hung onto the net for dear life.

Gippal drove the bike over the water toward the smaller rocks and islands, hitting booster engines to help the bike skip and hop over the waves. He passed Kilika and skirted Luca until he could jump up the terrain at angles onto the Mi'ihen Highroad. Once he hit that road, he shot forward like a bullet in a cloud of dust. Tidus loved every minute of it. Ghiki did not.

Kicking the bike into the highest speed it could handle and taking as many shortcuts as he could remember, Gippal made it all the way to the Calm Lands before stopping outside of Clasko's Chocobo Ranch.

"That was so awesome!" Tidus untied the petrified monkey from the back of the bike. "Can you show me how to do that?"

"That's why I brought it here. Wide-open spaces - lots of room to learn how to handle a hoverbike and test one that has new tricks. Rikku's idea." He gave a clipped, sarcastic smile to Tidus, who laughed and followed him inside. "Yo, Clasko!"

Chocobo chirps filled the back area of what used to be a mini-dungeon. Clasko came running to see who had called. "Oh! Sir Tidus! Gippal!"

Gippal looked over his shoulder at the blitz player and quirked the thin, straight brow over his eye patch. "_Sir_?"

Tidus shrugged with embarrassment. This was Clasko; there was no accounting for the man's eccentricities, though he suspected it had something to do with the fact that he survived Yuna's pilgrimage.

"Need a chocobo to ride or fetch something? Or did you come for supplies?"

"Actually, we were wondering if you had room for a monkey." Tidus held the netted creature before him and grinned.

Ghiki sighed with overwhelming relief that the wild ride was finally over.

))((

Yuna, Rikku, and Paine searched Besaid Island for the missing young men, long into the night after moonrise. Exhausted and worried when they still couldn't find them, they decided they needed to tell the rest of the Gullwings crew that they feared the worst.

"Missing?" Cid set his coffee down on the counter at the bar. "What do you mean they're missing? Gippal brought back the specs and took Tidus with him to give the refurbished hoverbike a test run. Didn't you notice it was gone after taking up half of the engine room?"

Paine's brow twitched. "You mean they've been testing that bike all day?"

Rikku clenched her teeth. "And they didn't tell us?"

"Why didn't you tell us?" Yuna asked in dismay.

"Nobody asked." Cid shrugged and drank his coffee.

Rikku let out a noise that sounded like a cross between a growl and a scream, but as she quieted, they could all hear the hum of a hoverbike arriving on the beach. The three women exchanged glances and ran to the lift. Sure enough, the hoverbike was missing from the back of the engine room. Racing down the ramp onto the beach, they watched in disbelief as the bike skimmed the waves and hit the beach in a spray of sand before coming to a complete stop on the ground in front of the Celsius.

"Hellllloooo, Ladies." Gippal grinned, getting off the refurbished bike. "Did you miss us?"

Yuna ran to Tidus and wrapped him in an inescapable hug. "Don't ever leave like that without telling me! I thought ... I thought you had ..." She sniffled but tried not to let her worry turn into tears.

Tidus's wide grin faded when he saw how upset she was. He returned her hug, but then stepped back at arm's length. "I didn't realize you'd be worried. I won't leave without fair warning next time, okay?"

She nodded, smiled, and wiped at the moisture in her eyes, glad to see that he and Gippal were okay.

"Where have you been all day?" Rikku fussed. "You couldn't let someone know you were leaving for a joy ride? Where's my Ghiki?"

"Oh, but we _did_ let someone know. We just didn't let _you_ know. Is there a reason that should worry you?" Fists on hips, Gippal leaned directly into her face, expecting a confession.

"Um, ... no." Rikku offered her best innocent expression. "But ... where's my monkey?"

Gippal reached into his utility belt and pulled out a fluff of white fur.

Rikku gasped in horror and delicately cradled the puffball in her palms. "Ghiki! What did you do to my Ghiki?"

"We caught him in a net and took him to the Calm Lands. If you want him back, you'll have to do a favor for Clasko." Tidus leaned against the seat of the bike behind him.

Rikku drew back, wrinkling her nose. "Clasko?"

"Clasko was glad to take him off of our hands until you come to ..." Tidus feigned forgetfulness and looked to Gippal for confirmation. "What was it he suggested? Clean stalls?"

"Chocobo Pooper Scooper Pro to Go," Gippal stated with a smug grin.

Rikku's mouth dropped open. "I have to scoop poop out of Clasko's stupid chocobo pens before I can get my monkey back?" She was outraged. "_Ruf luimt oui tu cusadrehk mega dryd du so Ghiki? Uv ymm dra hanja! Ymm fa fana dnoehk du kad oui kioc du tu fyc dymg du uha yhudran_!"

With an exasperated sigh, Gippal glanced over his shoulder at Tidus, then reached into his pocket and drew out a small round grenade. Pulling the pin, he tossed to the ground at Rikku's feet. A powdery puff of magical smoke swirled around her but otherwise left her completely unharmed. However, when she opened her mouth to continue fussing, not a single sound came out. "I love hush grenades," he commented to Tidus and chuckled.

Rikku stamped her foot, shouted something completely inaudible, stomped again, and stormed away in a huff.

Yuna giggled. "That's not very nice, you know."

"And sending us after that demonic monkey was?" Gippal snorted. "Eh, she'll be fine. Brother and I used to toss those things at her all the time when we were kids. She's like a little sister to me, so I gotta pick on her sometimes."

Paine couldn't help but smile. "Actually, ... it was mostly my idea, not Rikku's. I know it was dangerous, but I figured if you had to watch each other's backs you'd eventually work it out."

"Another Cloister of Trials for the guardian, right?" Tidus sardonically returned.

"Something like that." She shrugged.

"Well, your stupid plan actually worked."

Gippal stepped forward, casually hooked an arm around Paine's neck, and pulled another hush grenade from his pocket. "You know, you deserve one of these, too, but you hardly ever say anything to begin with."

Yuna gave her a small smile but gave nothing of their earlier conversation away.

"I'll let it slide this time, even if you did lead us into a _den of death_. At least you were more worried about _us_ than some stupid monkey." Gippal gave her a friendly peck on the cheek but backed away pointing a finger. "I'm onto you now, though. Have to sleep with my good eye open, now that Rikku's tainted your thinking."

Paine smiled with mild chagrin. "It was reckless. I'm sorry. But Tidus needs some Gippalish help with Baralai and Nooj."

"Yeah, I know," Gippal agreed with a smirk. "They're going to have a hard time getting past the whole Shuyin thing because of what happened to them. But … bring him to the next meeting, and we'll see how many Gippalish things we can do to knock some sense into their heads. If talking doesn't work, we can always use Dr. P's plan A and lock them up with Demon Monkey, right? Well, I'd better go. Catch you guys later. Oh, and tell Shinra to bring those new printouts to the temple tomorrow!" He waved goodnight and jogged back to his own hovercraft to fly home.

Paine waved, then gave Tidus a light hit to the chest. "Let me know if you want that training." Turning away, she jogged back to the airship.

"Can I wear my blitz guards next time?" he called, receiving only a glance over her shoulder in return. "I guess that means no. She's going to crack me like an egg," he complained to Yuna.

"Paine's an excellent trainer. And, in spite of everything, you look like you had fun."

"Oh, it was unbelievable! Gippal is absolutely insane on a hoverbike! But he showed me the basics of how to ride one and let me run some of the tests for speed boosters. I learned how to do a three-sixty horizontal loop and skid out of a dive. Did you know you could make them skip on water? Then, there was this really deep ditch we got stuck in, so the only way to get out was to put it in reverse and floor it. It shot backward and nearly -" He paused, realizing Yuna was laughing at him behind her hand.

"Looks like I might need one of those hush grenades for you, too. But I'm glad you had fun." Rising on her toes, she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him.

He smiled warmly after returning the kiss. "Mmm, well this is kinda fun, too."

Yuna drew back in offense. "_Kinda_?"

"Okay more than kinda." Placing his hands over her silken hair, he smoothed it to rest his forehead against hers. "Want to take a walk?"

She smirked at the suave way he had said it. "It's late. You're probably really tired already."

"Want to take a walk?" he repeated.

"The others might worry."

He looked toward the airship, and she followed his line of sight. Rikku's head ducked out of sight from the window panel of the loft. "I think they'll figure it out on their own."

Yuna giggled at her cousin's nosy nature before meeting his eyes once more. Gazing at him under the moonlight, she waited for the familiar flip-flop in her heart to pass when he smiled back at her. She thought of Paine's confession and, for a moment, felt insecure enough to want to ask if he noticed how he touched her friend's heart with his laughter. But she decided Paine was right. He probably had not. "Would you like to take a walk?" she coquettishly asked, touching a hand to her own warm cheek.

His grin returned. "Thought you'd never ask."


	10. Chapter 10: Above and Below

Chapter 10: Above and Below

Tidus took Yuna's hand and coaxed her to follow him up the beach and down the right-hand fork in the road that led to a high cliff overlooking the clear bay.

"Hmm, short walk with a dead end," she said with amusement. "Interesting choice."

Tidus acted shocked. "Are you accusing me of ulterior motives?"

Regarding him with even more amusement, she followed until he sat down cross-legged in the grass. "All right then, why did you bring me here?" Sitting down beside him, both of them faced the ocean.

He shrugged. "I just like it. It's calm. Plus, all those white flowers back there open up at night and it smells really good."

Still skeptically amused, she breathed in the fragrance of the night blooms and listened to the crickets chirping. "I didn't realize you came out here at night to enjoy the scenery."

"Well, there's a lot about me you don't know," he answered in a smug tone.

Yuna smiled. "I'm sorry I doubted you."

"Good. 'Cause I changed my mind about making out with someone who doubts me." Tidus lay down in the cool grass and rested his hands behind his head.

"_Ah-ha_. So, you did have ulterior motives." She plucked a piece of grass and threw it at him.

He chuckled. "Okay, maybe a little. But just being here is nice, too." He turned his attention to the countless stars overhead. "When I lived in Zanarkand, there was a small hill on the waterfront across from the stadium near where I lived. I used to sit there and cool off after late night practices and games, if I wasn't going out afterward. I couldn't sleep being all wound up like that, you know? Lying under the stars for a short time really did the trick."

Yuna smiled at the way he gazed up at the night sky with wonder. Then she turned around to face the opposite direction and lay down behind him, resting her head on his shoulder, her temple against his cheek.

"Okay, what'd you do that for? I can't kiss you upside down. You were supposed to want to hear about the ulterior motives."

She giggled as he gave the top of her head a kiss to prove his point. "Why? You didn't want to make out with me anyway since I doubted your intentions. And it's been a long time since I've done this, ... just looking at the stars." There was a long silence as she considered the celestial bodies near Spira that she _did_ know a little about, but then her mind drifted to a world no one on Spira knew about until only recently. "Do you think we can still see Earth from here?"

"I don't know. I mean, Spira did run away from them. Do you have a telescope?"

"Tele-scope?"

"It's like binoculars, only bigger … for looking at stars and other worlds up-close. The more powerful the telescope, the further away you can see."

Yuna was awed by the concept. "I don't think we have anything like that, unless the Al Bhed found it in some ruins. Oh, wait! Would it be like the memory sphere of Zanarkand Maester Seymour showed us? There were stars and planets at the beginning of that."

"Eh, not quite. But maybe whoever recorded that memory sphere used a telescope to get those images."

With a sigh of disappointment, Yuna raised a hand to Tidus's head and combed a few strands of his hair between her fingers, absently lifting them away from his face. "I'd like to see it someday. Just because it's kind of hard to believe Spira came from another world. I wonder what it looked like, or if it's still there."

"Probably no way of knowing now. That was a thousand years ago." Tidus yawned at her soothing gesture. "I remember having history lessons on the Founders, but the teacher was such a drip that I can't remember anything he said about them. Come to think of it, maybe I was the drip since I kept falling asleep during lectures. Guess I should have studied harder, instead of balancing my pen on my nose to stay awake. History teachers have no sense of humor." Tidus turned his nose toward her and closed his eyes.

Yuna's eyes widened with realization. Tidus was a link not only to Zanarkand's history, but to all of Spira's history, as well. "Were there pictures? Did you see what it looked like?"

"Mh," he lazily muttered.

"Did the people look like us? I mean, I'm sure they did, but ... weren't you curious about things like how they dressed and what they ate? I wonder if they'd still be mad at us for the war, ... or for running away. It would be fun to try to find it, don't you think?" His breath was warm against her neck, soft and rhythmic. When he didn't answer her after a long minute, Yuna lifted her head to see his face better. He had fallen asleep.

She laughed lightly, remembering he was like this on their pilgrimage. He buzzed non-stop all day, but when he finally crashed, his sleep was instant and unshakable. Even on the hardest rock, he had amused everyone with how he could sleep like a log. Nobody else would have been able to put up with that engine room floor for two weeks without complaint like he had. Smiling, she gave him a gentle upside-down kiss, then lay her head back down on his shoulder and nuzzled into his neck. Still, she blinked up at the stars and couldn't help but wonder.

))((

Dawn rose over the ocean, filtering the last of its hazy pink and orange shades on the cliffs of Besaid before Yuna became aware of her senses again. The air was cool and moist. Birds were chirping instead of crickets. And a breeze carried the scent of grilled fish and rice from the village breakfast preparations. Chilled, she curled against the young man next to her, in an effort to share his warmth, and his heartbeat nearly lulled her back into a dreamy sleep when she suddenly remembered where she was.

"Oh no!" She raised herself on her elbows and gave his shoulder a shake. "Tidus, we need to get back to the airship before they come looking for us. They might be worried since we were gone all night."

He blinked at her face for an unclear moment but then rolled toward her, draping an arm over her waist and burying his face into her chest.

Yuna flushed with embarrassment. "Well, now you're just being rude." But she was unable to stay mad at him for very long. Cradling his head, she kissed his temple. "Tidus?" Drawing her feet underneath herself, she sat up and gave his shoulder a firmer shake. "Tidus, please wake up."

"Mnnh." Squinting, he shielded his face from the sun's increasing rays of light.

"We have to go back to the ship now. Come on." Standing, she grabbed his arm.

Sleepily, he pushed himself to his feet, took her hand, and followed back down the road to the beach. He was too groggy to argue but became more alert along the way. They crept on board the airship and up to the cabin not knowing what time it was, but they hoped they timed their entrance early enough that everyone else would still in bed.

No such luck. The entire crew was sitting at the bar eating breakfast, and all eyes turned on them as the cabin doors opened.

"Bus-ted." Buddy grinned over his eggs and toast.

Brother's eyes narrowed on Tidus, and a noise that sounded very much like a growl rumbled in his throat.

Cid gave a fatherly frown, first to his errant niece, then to her wayward boyfriend.

"Ohohhh." Rikku giggled with a sly expression and stood to hand Barkeep her dirty dishes. "Well, I guess I won't be asking you what you two were doing all night."

Yuna gave her most innocent smile. "We were star-gazing and fell asleep."

Paine smirked and drank her juice. "Don't you hate it when that happens?"

"I'm sorry if we worried anyone," Yuna added.

"Good thing we didn't come looking for you, or we might have seen more than stars, right?" Rikku giggled again and gave Yuna a big wink.

Shinra looked up from his cereal. "Gross." Shaking his head, he continued eating.

Wearing a pout, Yuna headed up the stairs to the loft.

Tidus ignored everyone's assumptions and followed.

"They don't believe us," she complained as she went to her dresser mirror and gasped at her reflection. Bits of grass littered her bedraggled hair, and the ribbon holding her long braid was coming loose. "_Oh, ... no wonder_." Sighing at the growing evidence stacked against them, she picked out the pieces of grass and began to unwind the ribbon.

"Does it matter?" Tidus sat down on his futon and ran his fingers through his own shaggy, mane.

"I never lose track of time like that." Yuna set the long, red ribbon on her dresser, picked up her comb, and began unweaving the braid. "And the rumors surrounding your origins are bad enough." Her fingers worked quickly to undo the damage, then she smoothed the whole thing into a brown, wavy cascade with her brush. "If additional rumors start about us—"

"No one downstairs would do that to us. They'll rag us about it," he conceded with a shrug. "But they'd never do anything to hurt us."

Yuna sighed with frustration and stopped brushing. Then she sighed again and nodded in agreement that she was getting flustered over nothing.

"Wow. I don't think I've ever seen your hair out of that braid before. I didn't realize it was that long."

"Tidus!" Rikku called from downstairs.

Standing behind Yuna, he smoothed his hands over her tresses. "Stop messing with it. You're beautiful." With a kiss to her crown, he headed back downstairs.

))((

Rikku met him at the bottom of the stairs and stacked several empty laundry baskets in front of him, placing a filled one in his arms. "Since you're making me go to the Calm Lands to clean out Clasko's chocobo pens, you're doing my chores today. The washer is at the back of the shower behind that sliding door. Make sure all the garment grids are emptied and included. Keep everyone's loads separate. Oh, and remember to sort the colors because Paine and Buddy can get really mad at you if you dye their underwear pink. Do you know how to sort laundry colors?"

"It's not the first time I've had to wash clothes, Rikku." Hooking one of the strings of a bikini top on his finger, he gave it a small spin. "Although, there's not much to wash for some of these things."

Rikku scowled and snatched the item from him. "Stop being perverted about it."

"I wasn't being perverted. It's a string," he jokingly argued.

"I don't wave your underwear around."

"Because I do my own laundry."

"_Don't_ be so sure about that." She gave him a pressed look of warning and took the laundry basket back to set it with the others.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Sounds like you're in for a wedgie," Brother commented after finishing his breakfast.

"Nah, she'll steal his underwear and dye it pink." Paine placed her bet.

"Or cut holes in it." Buddy snickered.

Tidus frowned at them. "Thanks. You guys are a big help."

"Well, I _should_ do something like that to you." Rikku poked him in the chest. "You took Ghiki to the Calm Lands and made us look all over the place for you. Now you're making me scoop bird poop to get him back!"

"Because your freaky monkey led me to a couple of coeurl reginas!"

Rikku turned her head with a crisp _hmpf_ nearly smacking him in the face with her long braids. She waited for Paine to finish her juice and grabbed her wrist as soon as she set the glass down. "I was only trying to help, but fine. Be that way. We're outta here."

Paine resisted the smaller girl's pull. "Wait a minute. _We_?"

"If I have to scoop chocobo poop, _you_ have to help."

Paine shook her head. "I have guard duty at the temple tonight - the spheres."

"Then, we'll have to work fast to be back in time. It was your idea to steal something from Gippal."

Paine groaned, but Rikku was right. And with Rikku on a war path, there would be no peace. The warrior stood and allowed herself to be dragged to the door by the thief.

"It's good discipline." Tidus gave her an obnoxious grin as he took her seat at the bar.

Paine shot him a daggered look for rubbing her own words in her face, considering the nature of the task she was about to do was a lot worse than Brother's chore charts.

"I'll do the laundry," Yuna told Tidus as she came down the stairs. "You need to catch up on practice for the next game."

"I don't mind." He grinned mischievously. "Gives me a chance to string Rikku's bikinis all over the place before she returns."

"You're asking for real payback if you do something like. Besides, I'm more used to the chore routines than you are. _You_ need to win another game for Besaid. It will help counter those nasty rumors about you being unsent." She tapped his nose, giggling at the way it made him blink.

"Yuna, is Tidus going with you to the meeting today?" Buddy asked. "If not, we could use his help setting up under the temple. We're going to start work on Spira's core today with the Machine Faction."

Yuna froze. "The meeting! I forgot all about the meeting this morning! I've still got grass in my hair! And I've got to braid it again, and I have to find something to wear!" Running to the shower, she slammed the door shut behind her.

Tidus smirked at her reaction. "Yeah, I'll be going," he answered Buddy, picking up the list of breakfast items Barkeep had in stock. "Gippal's going to talk to Baralai and Nooj for me, so I should be there."

A strong arm draped across his shoulders from the right, and Cid, wearing a very authoritative expression, cleared his throat. "Son, it's time we had a _talk_."

Tidus's smirk fell. "Um, ... if that's the talk I think it is, I've already had it. Twice."

"Not about my niece you didn't."

"Aaaaaahhhh!" Brother covered his ears and stood. "I don't want to hear this about Yuna!" He pointed an accusatory finger at Tidus. "Yuna is an angel! I told you not to think such things about her! Now look what you've done! You see?"

"Stop your caterwaullering and get out of here, so I can do this right!" Cid scowled at his son.

Tidus's brows rose. "But I didn't -"

"I'm not listening! I'm not listening! I'm not listening!" Brother covered his ears again and quickly left the cabin.

"Guess that's my cue to go keep an eye on him before he hurts himself." Buddy gave Tidus a sympathetic pat on the back for having to listen to Cid's _talk_, then left.

The door to the shower slammed open against the wall behind it, and Yuna scurried out in a big towel as she hurried up the stairs to the loft.

"Get back in there and put some clothes on!" Cid snapped at her. "You can't run around here like that!"

"I forgot my brush and clothes! And if the garment grid goes in the laundry, I need something else for today!" Yuna snatched the brush and the ribbon off of her dresser. She dug into a drawer and hurriedly pieced together something that would look decent for the formal meeting. Then she ran back down to the shower again, trying not to slip on the trail of water her long hair left on the floor.

"And don't you come back out again until I say so!" Cid fussed at the door that slammed shut behind her. He then turned to see that Shinra and Barkeep remained. "Uh, you're probably a little too young for this, so ... scram," Cid warned the child.

"I already know about it. I know everything." Shinra's big eyes blinked at Tidus from behind his goggles, but he made no move to leave.

Barkeep merely leaned on the counter and tapped his froggy fingers against his chin, attentively listening.

With begrudging acceptance, Cid faced Tidus and cleared his throat once more. "Now then, boy, where was I?"

Tidus sighed and drooped forward, cheek to the counter. First Jecht, then Auron, now Cid, ... But he chose not to argue with the man while he was fulfilling his "fatherly" duties to Yuna.

))((

In the bottom level of the temple in Bevelle, the Machine Faction's Al Bhed engineers and mechanics were already busy transporting equipment down into the lower reaches of the dungeons, while Gippal looked over the crisp new printouts of Shinra's diagrams and directed various groups to certain stations, according to the tests and repairs they would be performing.

"Gippal!" Hair somewhat damp, but neatly braided back into her trademark ribbon, Yuna waved cheerfully as she and the rest of the Gullwings arrived on the scene.

"Hey, I was just about to finish here and head upstairs." He passed the printout to Shinra. "Think you guys can take over for a little while?"

"Sure thing." The boy-genius accepted his printouts back. Brother, Buddy, and Cid brought their own equipment for diagnostics and repairs.

"I've got everyone setting up stations below the main lift, but another dungeon has been found in a hidden passage in one of the back rooms. Since we don't know what's in there, if you could help them check it out that would be great."

"Back room? Oh, but - " Yuna stopped herself from saying more. Maybe it wasn't the same hidden dungeon she recalled below the main lift, but a feeling of dread always overcame her whenever she remembered the Via Infinito.


	11. Chapter 11: Play It Again

Chapter 11: Play It Again

Gippal waited for Yuna to finish what she was going to say.

"Well, it's just that, right before we found Vegnagun, some children found a passage to a hidden dungeon in one of the back rooms. If it's the same one, it's very dangerous. It had fiends - not just ordinary fiends - large, powerful fiends. I wouldn't go in there unless you absolutely have to."

"Point taken. But we should still try to check it out so we don't overlook anything." Gippal rubbed a finger over his chin and turned to Shinra. "Maybe send someone into the entrance area only."

Shinra nodded in acceptance of his assignment. "If it's that dangerous, maybe we could send a machina scout instead of a person."

"I like the way you think," Gippal agreed. "A big ol' scout bumping around down there would probably draw too much attention, though. Use, maybe, an S-grade watcher, since Yuna says it's a pretty tough environment. We're not looking for trouble, just cables and circuits."

"The main AI areas seem to be at the core of the Farplane and at the site of that large pump. So, if we miss something here, we'll probably run up against the other end there. Then we can come back for a more detailed look." Buddy checked his equipment. "That's where I'm heading. See you guys later." Shouldering his things, he headed for the lift, taking it down under the temple.

Tidus watched a couple of soldier machina clink and waddle past him as they carried supplies from one place to another. He was still wary of the things after having been attacked by them so frequently two years ago. Seeing the once-forbidden machina roam free in a temple now was just bizarre.

"We should go now," Yuna reminded Gippal of the time.

"I'm on it. Where's Rikku and Paine?" He flashed a smug grin as he left his operations and headed with them to the lift.

Tidus chuckled. "Visiting Clasko."

"Paine went with her? What'd she go and do that for? It's Rikku's monkey. Gonna have to teach Dr. P how to slack off and make up excuses once in a while." He shook his head.

"Find a way to make her laugh," Yuna suggested with a sheepish smile.

The lift carried them to the upper balcony, but armed guards met them instead of priests. "Not him." One of the guards indicated Tidus.

"What'd I tell you," Gippal said over his shoulder to Tidus. "Spear up the nose. Just hang around downstairs, or something, until we come and get you." Putting a hand to Yuna's back, he encouraged her to continue forward.

Under the guards' watchful eyes, Tidus backed onto the lift. After the lift descended, he returned to Shinra and Brother. "Well, they won't let me in. Got anything I can do here?"

))((

Baralai stood and followed the length of the table to Yuna's seat. Leaning down, he spoke quietly beside her ear. "Lady Yuna, I believe you have an error to correct." Placing the guard roster before her, he returned to his place at the head of the table.

Yuna stared at the list of names and descriptions she had written down. Still miffed that Tidus had been banned from entering the room, she felt this added insult to injury. Picking up the pen, she stared at the one name Baralai wanted removed from the roster. Then she giggled to herself and wrote something more.

"Last week, our negotiations abruptly ended before an official treaty was signed." Baralai situated himself in his chair, looked around the table, and consulted notes in a logbook. He read off a summary of what they agreed upon at the last meeting. Then, looking up, he paused to see if there was any dissent. With no objections, he continued. "We decided the building design should follow, if possible, the architectural style of Pre-Machina War Zanarkand, and spheres are probably our best resources for the exterior. So, the question we had to adjourn early on was how to find a model and information for the interior."

Gippal leaned back in his chair and crossed an ankle over his knee. "Sounds like we need an expert on Zanarkand. I nominate Yuna's guardian, Tidus." He gave Yuna a small wink.

Yuna returned a small smile of gratitude.

Nooj looked up with a cool expression. "Don't you mean _Shuyin_?"

"He told me Shuyin was his brother," Baralai told Nooj.

Gippal sighed. "Look, I've spent some time with him, all right? He's a pretty decent guy, regardless of whatever state of existence he's in, or what name he goes by. What's the worst that could happen? Do you honestly think he'll find another Vegnagun buried in Zanarkand somewhere?"

"It's not a replay of Vegnagun that concerns me," Baralai answered. "The unsent should be sent, or we risk being at the mercy of spirits that refuse to leave this world to the living - _again_. How many unsent will we allow to roam and rule Spira before we decide enough is enough?"

"He is not unsent." Yuna was growing annoyed at hearing people say that about him.

"You were able to send him to the Farplane when you sent the Fayth, were you not?"

"Because he was part of their dream. Not because he was dead."

"That dream was made from the memories of the dead," Baralai countered. "If he was among those memories, then he was among the dead that once inhabited Zanarkand. If he is Shuyin's brother, as he _himself_ said, then he lived over a thousand years ago and couldn't possibly still be alive. Either way, he is unsent."

Yuna clenched her fists. "So his personality and knowledge have nothing to do with this? You're banning him just because he's somehow physically different from us?"

"He's not just _different_, Yuna," Nooj argued. "_He's a spirit_. You have no idea what it's like to lose control of your mind and body to something crawling underneath your skin." The meyvn of the Youth League became angry, but remained calm.

"Lenne's spirit resided in my dress sphere, and on occasion, her emotions would surface above my own. I felt them as strongly as she did."

"Lenne wasn't a homicidal sociopath," Nooj snapped. "It's very different when someone whispers in your ear to kill people, and you're powerless to stop yourself from doing it!"

"Then you agree those two spirits were very different from one another, and one could be trusted more than the other? Even among spirits, individuals are unique! Tidus shouldn't be punished for Shuyin's deeds."

"You know," Gippal interrupted, "for a thousand years, a real, live human manipulated two-thirds of this planet, draining innocent people to turn himself into a monster, so he could seek revenge on those who hurt him. Yevon's intentions may have been defensive at first, but his revenge didn't stop with those who attacked him in the war. He demanded innocent blood for a thousand years more." Gippal paused to let his words carry weight. "Look, I can understand your fears that another unsent spirit in that same position could employ an even worse reign of terror. But if living humans are capable of doing this to ourselves, how are spirits any different? Living, dead, undead, unreal – none of that matters. Anyone is capable of abusing power once they get their hands on it. Isn't that what we learned about ourselves after our race to reach Vegnagun? The next Shuyin, the next Maester Seymour, or the next Yu Yevon could just as easily come from New Yevon, the Youth League, or the Machine Faction, as it could from some weird reincarnation of a blitzball player from Zanarkand."

Yuna looked to Gippal with gratitude for speaking up in such a manner.

Kimahri, who had been silent all this time, shifted his weight where he stood. "Tidus should join commission to build Zanarkand library."

"Seconded." Gippal picked up his pen and turned it end-over-end.

Yuna's eyes turned to Tromell Guado. If he voted against Tidus, it would be a stalemate.

Tromell looked down at his large hands and cleared his throat. "I first met Lady Yuna's young guardian when I was serving under Maester Seymour. I've reconsidered my own mistakes in helping to escalate things, and I remember how hopeless I felt when we guado had to leave our homes for our shameful participation in Seymour's designs. We cannot scapegoat spirits for crimes even the living are capable of committing." He drew a breath before continuing to share his thoughts on the matter. "An old man named Maechen used to say, 'The dreams of the Fayth reach through the spirit of the summoner. And that which is unreal becomes real for all to see.' I don't believe this young man is unsent, as much as he is simply not real for all to see until he has been summoned. That doesn't make him harmless, but his nature is probably similar to that of an aeon, wishing only to protect his summoner." Tromell lifted his sad eyes. "Lady Yuna, ... please go ask your young man to join us."

Sighing with relief, Yuna stood and started toward the door but then stopped to face Nooj and Baralai. "I won't invite him without your consent."

"It's a majority in his favor, Yuna," Nooj answered in annoyance, rubbing a finger over his tired eyes, beneath his glasses. "What more do you want?"

This meeting had barely started, and it had already fallen apart.

"Your cooperation, if not your support. A fair chance to prove he can be an asset."

Baralai crooked a finger over his lips as he rested his elbow on the desk, staring at Gippal then Yuna with an unhappy frown. "I will go along with this only on the condition that you allow us to take immediate action to resolve any trouble that may come of it. Until then, you may bring him in."

Knowing that was probably the best offer she could get, Yuna hurried out the door to the lift. "Tidus!" she called out, leaning over the railing as it lowered her to the temple's ground floor. She jumped off the lift before it could even settle in place. "You're in! Gippal convinced them to let you in!"

Tidus was watching Brother manipulate the remote controls of an S-watcher they lowered into the back room's dark passage. "Great. I'll owe him one," he answered without enthusiasm or sarcasm.

Yuna blinked at his distracted expression, then Brother's. She couldn't see Shinra's because of his ever-present mask, but the other guys looked concerned, too. "What's wrong?"

"See for yourself." Brother passed the monitor into her hands.

The S-watcher beeped and whirred as it floated slowly along a smooth-walled tunnel much like those leading to the Farplane. The passage was dimly lit in some places and dark in others. Every corner of the maze had at least one large fiend fading in and out of its miserable existence between life and death.

"But ... I told you this is what you'd find down there." Yuna looked up.

"You don't see her? She must have moved." Brother leaned over her shoulder and made a few adjustments to the controls.

"_Her_?" Yuna was about to ask him to clarify when the camera picked up a young woman with long black hair. She appeared to have been crying and ran to the walls, banging on them with her fists as if looking for a way out. Screaming, she grabbed her head as if madness had taken her. Then she fell to her knees, sobbing. Alarmed, Yuna started for the dungeon. "We have to get her out of there!"

"Wait." Tidus caught her wrist and pulled her back. "Watch."

After a moment, the woman stood and ran again until a large elder drake rounded the corner. But the brief confrontation began with a scream and ended when she burst into a flare of pyreflies and was gone.

Yuna gasped. "She's _unsent_? Why didn't we see her before?"

"Because she moves between levels." Brother took back the monitor. "We found her on five levels so far. Each one, she falls through a hole above. Each one, she goes through same actions trying to escape. Then something hits her, and she disappears only to show up on different level."

"Falling through every level in an infinite cycle?" Yuna couldn't bear the thought of it. She shuddered at the memory of trying to outrun the elder drake. "I wonder who she was."

"We don't know, but so far there is no machina that looks like it connects to the Farplane unless there is something at the bottom, … wherever that is." Brother tried to find the ghost again on his watcher screen.

"Maybe Baralai would know who she is?" Yuna suggested.

"We've asked around," Shinra returned. "The priests didn't even know this dungeon was here. They know even less about how so many unsent souls got down there."

"As the temple praetor, Baralai might know something the other priests don't." That reminded Yuna of the meeting they were missing. "I'll try to remember to ask him about it later. First things first, though." Triumphant, she took Tidus's hand and led him to the lift.

))((

Tidus followed Yuna into the conference room and looked at each of the faces around the table. It was pretty easy to guess who had supported him, and who had not.

"Well, by majority vote, you're in," Baralai spoke. "You will be in charge of any information we need to collect regarding Zanarakand on this project. You can start by helping Kimahri recover whatever he needs for building the library's structure."

"Kimahri needs spheres put together to make model," the ronso stated. "Also, need image of Tidus's memory inside buildings."

"Well, my memories aren't very good, but ... I know of one sphere that would probably make a very good model." Tidus glanced at Yuna with a secret smile but continued speaking to the gathering as a whole. "Two years ago, when I first visited Guadosalam, Seymour had a sphere that projected scenes of Zanarkand in life-size format."

"Kimahri, you remember it don't you?" Yuna asked. "It felt as if we were flying over Zanarkand and landed right in the middle. He showed it to us right before he ... asked me to marry him." Sad for a moment, she looked to Tidus, apologetic and ashamed.

"Kimahri remembers well." The large ronso turned to Tromell. "Do guado still have that sphere?"

"Unfortunately, no. Maester Seymour took his most valued items and hid them before he ... departed. I have no idea where it might be."

"Then the Gullwings will have to find it," Yuna determined. "We'll find Seymour's Zanarkand sphere. Tromell, do you have any of Seymour's things that might give us clues about where he hid them?"

"There is only what remains in the treasure room in Guadosalam, but you are welcome to look through it again."

"Oh, that reminds me! I can talk to Tobli while we're there." Yuna faced everyone. "I'd like to do a concert for the opening ceremony. We could fly people in like we did for the Thunder Plains concert but do it outside of the ruins. Would that be okay?"

Gippal smiled and tapped his pen against his hand. "Sounds good to me."

Tidus met Nooj's mute, unhappy gaze from across the table and had to look away. Instead, he watched Baralai speak to his adviser about adding this new information to the treaty. He was in, but as far as Nooj and Baralai were concerned, this obviously wasn't over yet.

))((

Yuna opened the door to Tobli's Entertainment Emporium in Guadosalam and approached the hypello working at the front desk. Tidus lingered at the back of the shop, looking at all the strange and interesting things on the shelves. The hypello went into Tobli's office, and within minutes, the little man with the mouth faster than a bullet came out of his office to greet them.

"Lady Yuna, Lady Yuna, very, very glad to see you again! Have you come to make a purchase, or have you come to talk business? It's been a while since we did business. Please, please, step into my office and let's talk." Waddling to the door, he pushed it open.

Tidus followed Yuna and Tobli into the office and was surprised at how much stuff the little man crammed into such a tiny space.

"I'd like to do another concert," Yuna spoke the magic words that Tobli wanted to hear.

"Hoo, hoo, hoo! Brilliant! When would you like to do it? Where would you like to have it? Do you have a band, or do you need a band? We can set up anything. Anything at all for you, Lady Yuna." The little man took a seat at his desk.

Tidus could see from where he stood that Tobli's feet didn't touch the floor. Chuckling, he remained silent and amused himself by looking at the entertainment memorabilia around the room. While Yuna laid down the plans and details with the promotion agent, Tidus came across a strange instrument beneath an unstable stack of papers and folders. It was long and flat, but rather small, and had keys much like a piano. Quirking a brow of interest, he pushed the papers aside and poked a finger at one of the keys. The tone was crisp but ethereal and lingered for a second or two. Having found a new toy, he placed his hands over the keyboard and played a couple of random chords. Then his fingers traced single keys, slowly and carefully picking out a melody.

After a few minutes, Tidus realized the room had become very quiet. Looking up, he found himself the center of attention, and Yuna and Tobli looked stunned. "Was that too loud? Or should I not be messing with this thing?" He accidentally hit the stack, and papers flew everywhere before fluttering to the floor. "Oops! Sorry about that. I got it." He crouched to scoop them back together.

Yuna crouched to pick up the stray papers closest to her. "You can play keyboards?"

"Well, ... no. I was just fooling around." He shrugged with an embarrassed laugh.

She gazed at him with disbelief. "But ... that was beautiful."

"I agree, I agree." Tobli accepted the fallen papers from them. "Those weren't random notes. That was a song - a really, really nice song. What song was it? Do you play professionally? Or would you like to? I can get you good stages for that kind of thing at the Moonflow, you know."

"Can you play it again?" Yuna asked.

"I ... don't know." Tidus passed the last of the papers to Tobli and placed his hands on the keyboard again. He played the same chords and then the same melody but not as one who had learned the song - more like one who was discovering it. When he finished, he stared at the keyboard, confused. Then he slowly played the song again. "I remember now. There was a keyboard in my bedroom. It had some clutter on it that kept falling off, but I didn't want to clean it up. Most of my room was clutter," he admitted. The song began to flow more smoothly as he remembered.

Yuna hummed a few bars as the tune began to grow on her. "Do you remember the name? Does it have words?"

"It didn't have words." He was certain of at least that. "But I don't remember what it's called."

"Well, you are a man of many talents," Yuna teasingly complimented, pleased to see a small blush rise to his cheeks instead of hers, for once.

With mixed feelings, Tidus looked back to the keyboard. Closing his eyes, he tried hard to visualize the keyboard in the rest of the room. The memory was vague, but he knew beyond a doubt, it was his personal space. There was a face on the keyboard - no, a holograph frame - one of the many things that kept falling, but he kept it there anyway. The face was too blurry to see, but he knew who it was. Astonished, he opened his eyes again. "Lenne ..."

"Lenne?" Yuna asked, not understanding.

"The picture on the keyboard - her name was Lenne. I know this song because Shuyin knew it." He faced Yuna with worry. "I've found one of his memories."


	12. Chapter 12: Forgotten Melody

Chapter 12: Forgotten Melody

"Are you sure it's Shuyin's memory?" Yuna asked with concern.

"I'm sure, but I'm having trouble with it. It's like it's buried."

"Vegnagun was controlled by a musical keyboard. He was playing it when we confronted him," Yuna quietly admitted. It wasn't a far-fetched idea.

Tidus had declined Shuyin's offer to restore his memories so he could keep his own identity. So, what did this mean for them?

"It's just one memory," Yuna assured him, able to tell what he was thinking by the look on his face. "And it sounds like a sweet one. I like the song."

"You should consider playing professionally," Tobli spoke. "With some practice, you'd be great in no time. We can set you up. We can get you into Luca. Stage shy? We can put you in a band. You could play with Yuna's band. At the concert!" The little man got excited about his own ingenuity.

Tidus backed away from the keyboard. "I'm just … going to wait outside." Opening the door, he excused himself from the office and the shop. Outside, he sat by the door and tried to clear his thoughts, but the song was stuck in his head and would not go away.

When Yuna came out of the shop, she crouched before him, concerned. "Feeling any better?"

"Just creeped out, I guess."

"Then come help me look for clues about Seymour's sphere. Maybe that will _un-creep_ you." Taking his hand, she waited for him to stand. Then they crossed Guadosalam's interior to the treasure room, which was nothing more than an empty house full of odds and ends. But they had to begin their search somewhere. Yuna unlocked the door with a key that Tromell gave her, and after lighting the nearby lantern, she placed it on a central shelf. Looking at the long, tedious task ahead of her, she sighed, picked one area to start with, and pulled out some small wooden boxes.

Tidus moved to the corner and opened a large trunk. "How can we tell what might have been Seymour's?"

"Well, I don't understand their filing system, but I'm hoping something will look familiar."

"Like his big, ugly robes? Or his big, ugly aeon?"

Yuna laughed. "I always thought his robes were nice."

"Oh, please. He only wore those robes to show off his chest and tattoos - like Brother and my old man."

"If we find one of his robes, we could add it to your garment grid and ask Brother about his tattoo artist. I'm sure Seymour's style would look very good on you." She smiled over her shoulder with fake sweetness.

Tidus paused to imagine himself in Seymour's robes, then shuddered. "Okay, that's _not_ helping me un-creep."

She giggled and put back the box she held before looking up at the next shelf. "Could you help with this one, please? It's a little too high for me." Even rising on her toes, she could only scratch the underside with her nails.

Being slightly taller, he easily grasped the box and passed it to her. "Seymour was just all-around creepy. What kind of guy would use his own mother as an aeon?"

"It was her decision to sacrifice herself, not his. It's sad, really. I can't imagine how it must have felt to see his mother become so horribly disfigured and ..." Yuna stopped digging through the box to face him. "Anima's Chamber of Fayth!"

He rose on his toes, stretching to the next shelf up, knowing she wouldn't be able to reach those boxes either. "What about it?"

"Seymour's mother was entombed in the Chamber of Fayth in the Baaj Temple. Seymour's father exiled him and his mother there because of his being half-human, remember? It became their home and her grave. And since it's underwater ruins, no one goes there except summoners. It's the perfect place to hide a valuable item. Don't you think?"

Tidus opened the box, saw nothing of value in it, and closed it again before tilting his chin toward her. "You think he hid the sphere in Baaj?"

"Maybe. I don't know. I mean we don't have much else to go on, do we? Maybe we should ask Buddy to scan Baaj."

Tidus shrugged in acceptance of her theory. "Sounds better than this." He set down the box he was holding.

"Wait. Baaj is just a guess. If I'm wrong, we'll have to come back and do this again. We might as well eliminate this possibility while we're here."

"Yeah, I guess so." With a sigh, Tidus returned to rummaging through the trunk. When that one gave up nothing promising, he closed it and opened another. In it, he was amused to find a robe - not Seymour's robe, but a large, guado robe, all the same. Snickering, he checked over his shoulder to make sure Yuna was preoccupied, then peeled out of his shirt and donned the heavy robes. After tying the belt tightly at his waist, he pulled the front lapels open so wide they nearly fell off of his shoulders.

"Do you think those tunnels under the maester's mansion would have anything that belonged to him? Leblanc probably cleaned out anything worthwhile, knowing her, but -" Yuna glanced over her shoulder as she spoke, but did a double-take and laughed upon seeing what he was wearing. "What are you doing?"

"_Ti-daa_." He presented himself with a grin. "Got a permanent pen for some fake tattoos?"

"You're supposed to be helping me look for that sphere." She planted her hands on her hips and tried to look unamused. "You're not taking this very seriously, you know."

"You're not taking this very seriously, you know," he imitated her higher-pitch and stance. Straightening his arms, he watched the sleeves drop well beyond his fingertips. "You're the one who said this get-up might look good on me."

"Well, it _is_ nice," she admitted, drawing near and placing her hands on his chest. "But not because of the robe."

With a playful smirk, he reached for her waist, pulling her closer. "Mmm, well in that case ..."

"Now, now," she lightly scolded, further amused. "We won't get anything accomplished if we start discussing ulterior motives here."

"But since you didn't want to discuss them at the romantic cliff under the moonlight, all I can offer now is a weird closet full of ugly guado stuff."

Yuna laughed, but then bit her lip in coy appreciation as her eyes settled on the gaping robe that displayed the subtle, sinewy definition that a lifetime of blitz training had given him. "You're very distracting to work with, you know."

"Maybe _you_ just have a very short attention span." Tidus kissed her forehead, the tip of her nose, and then her cheek beneath her long, feathery lashes, but paused as delicate chills passed across his skin beneath her fingertips, sliding under the lapels of the robe. The ridiculously loose garment fell away from his shoulders and back. But then he slid his arms around her to savor the kiss on her lips.

It had been two years. For two whole years, he had been alone in a void, thinking of her, listening for her call, waiting for her to need him once more. With a soft bite, he pressed into her for a hungrier, deeper kiss, and his hands stretched further down her back to pull her closer still, when the door banged open.

"Here you go!" Tobli waddled in with a fist-full of contracts. "Here are your copies. All signed and sealed. Don't want them to get lost in the office. My office needs a thorough cleaning I know, but I'm a busy, busy man. Busy, busy, busy! No time for small problems when I have promotions to handle. This is going to be big, Lady Yuna! It will be the biggest, best concert in all of Spira!" He chuckled aloud as he offered the finished paperwork, completely ignoring the fact that he caught them in a compromising embrace.

Tidus shoved one of the guado robe's long sleeves up to his elbow, freeing a hand to snatch the papers, but he fought the urge to wad Tobli into a little ball and throw him for a long pass back to his office. He also resisted calling him nasty names because he realized he had no valid complaint about a lack of privacy in the guado storage house, but he hoped his scowl showed the full extent of his displeasure with the quirky little man's timing.

"Th-thank you, ... Tobli." Yuna was too breathless and embarrassed to say anything else.

"Naughty, naughty, you two." Tobli giggled like a chipmunk. "Well, looking forward to a great concert in Zanarkand, Lady Yuna! The best concert Spira's ever seen! See you then! Bye for now! Bye-bye!" The little man waddled back out, whistling to himself, completely unapologetic.

Disgusted, Tidus slipped his arms out of the oversized robe, passed the contracts to Yuna, and untied the belt. "I thought you finished your business with him when you left his office."

"I told him to bring me the copies, so we could start hunting for the sphere." Yuna picked up his shirt from the floor.

Tidus sighed, wadded the robe into a ball, and tossed it back into the trunk where he found it. "Just seems like we're always interrupted as soon as I start thinking ..."

Yuna quirked a brow at his pause.

"... things I shouldn't be thinking," he finished as nondescriptly as he could, despite sounding a lot like Brother.

She smirked sympathetically at his grumpy pout. "Well, you're _supposed_ to be helping me on a mission. And _I'm_ not the one with the short attention span." She tossed his shirt to him. "You can't say I didn't warn you."

Tidus caught the shirt and pulled it over his head and shoulders. "Sounds like a challenge to me." He grinned with mischief.

Yuna hooked her arms around his neck to give him one more kiss. "Challenge accepted, … _after_ we find the sphere." Slipping away, she returned to the shelves of unchecked boxes.

"Wow. You are _no_ fun when you're mission-focused." Crouching next to another trunk, he sighed and resigned himself to the tedious task-at-hand.

A few minutes later, Yuna giggled, and Tidus felt something soft thunk the top of his head. A little, bright orange ball fell to the floor near his foot. It was squishy and flickered with an internal light when he picked it up and shook the tentacle-like protrusions that covered it.

"See? Short attention span. I knew you couldn't resist that." She grinned.

He'd been tricked. "You know what? Game on, Yuna." He pitched the whimsical thing back at her. Laughing aloud, she dodged but picked it up again. Before she could throw it back, he leaped over the trunk to intercept and made her drop it. Both of them went down in the tackle, each struggling to reclaim the squishy little ball before the other.

))((

"Okay, set it right here," Yuna told Rikku, as they shifted the keyboard into place on the small stage in the corner of the cabin. "I don't know whether he'll love it or hate it, but you should have heard the song he played yesterday. I really want to hear it again, but I don't want him to be uncomfortable if he's seeing memories through Shuyin's eyes." Yuna saddened with uncertainty. "Maybe I should take it back."

Rikku pressed the keys, though they were currently inactive and made no sound. "Don't be silly. If he doesn't want to use it, maybe I will." She grinned. "I always wanted to learn how to play one of these."

"Gullwings," Buddy's voice came over the ship's intercom. "I think we got something."

Yuna and Rikku hurried to the bridge, to where Buddy sat studying the radar map. "It might not be the one you're looking for, but Baaj Temple has a sphere." He zoomed in on a red-glowing hot spot.

"Yes!" Yuna leaned forward, hands on knees to better see the markings. "It's centered over the sunken temple area. I'll go get Tidus and Paine for the dive." Running out of the airship, Yuna scanned the beach. They were easy to spot near the water's edge, going through a series of kicks and defense stances in perfect unison. "We found something!" she called, jogging toward them. "There's a sphere in the Baaj temple!"

Paine relaxed her stance as Yuna drew near. "Should we go after it now?"

"Well, we should go before the sun sets for the sake of visibility, but you can finish your training first."

"I'm not going to be able to go with you if you go today. I'm up for guard duty at the Kilika temple tonight," Tidus reminded her.

"Tomorrow then," Yuna compromised. "In the meantime, we can ask Shinra to set up a com sphere at the ruins … to make sure no one else nabs it before we can make the dive."

"I'd better hit the shower, so I'm not late for my watch," Tidus told Paine.

She snatched the back of his shirt before he could walk away. "That's not how you end a training session. Do it right, or don't do it at all."

"Your highly recommended trainer is a real _pain_ about formality," Tidus whispered to Yuna, loud enough that Paine could hear it. But then he lowered himself to his knees and bowed before her. Standing, he bowed again at the waist and waited for her to bow in return.

Yuna remained respectfully silent until Paine dismissed him. "Why so serious? You didn't make me do any of that when I trained with you."

"Different student; different discipline," Paine answered as they walked back to the airship. "Unarmed combat requires more attention to detail. If you have no weapons or armor, small details can mean more severe consequences with fewer second chances. Besides, when you trained with me, you were starting from scratch and naturally paid attention to small details. He already knows how to use a sword, so he's careless."

"I wouldn't be alive if I were careless," he retorted.

"You're a loose cannon." Paine cast Tidus an amused side glance. "What kind of training did Sir Auron give you, anyway?"

Tidus responded with a snort. "Are you kidding? He handed me a sword and said, 'Take it. A gift from Jecht. I hope you know how to use it.'"

Yuna chuckled at his imitation of Auron's stoic yet suave mannerisms.

"_That's_ the extent of your sword training?" Paine stuck her hands in her pockets.

"Pretty much."

"Well, that explains a lot."

"Hey, I do okay. Besides, it's not like I'm going to bow to a fiend before fighting it."

"So, where's my Jecht-shot lesson?"

"What other trick shots do you already know?"

"A few."

"Sphere shot? Because you should learn smaller trick shots before attempting the Jecht shot." Tidus stopped walking and squinted at her. "Can you do a back-flip?"

Paine moved a few paces away and demonstrated that she could.

"Nah, that's too sissy. That'll never do." Tidus backed up a few paces and launched into the air backward to show her the height and power necessary to aim a kick at the peak. He over-rotated a bit coming out of the back-flip but landed on his feet nonetheless. "Harder to do on land," he excused the minor stumble.

Lips pressed together, Paine smacked the back of his head.

"Ow!" He rubbed the spot she targeted. "What was that for?"

"Little snot. No one calls my moves sissy."

"Hey, you're learning _my_ moves now," he reminded her with a laugh. "You have to jump up, not back. Your whole body needs to push as high as it can. Air time is important. Work on squats, lunges, wall-sits, anything that will help you jump to the sky. Then we'll talk." With a smug grin, he jogged back to the airship.

The corner of Paine's mouth twitched. "I'll bet if I joined the Aurochs I'd get a lot more lesson and a little less ego."

Yuna laughed, but then realized he was about to spoil his surprise. "Tidus! Wait!" She ran after him. "Let Paine shower first!"

He stopped at the lift and waited for them to catch up. "I've got guard duty."

"I know, but ... just let her go first." Yuna grinned with excitement.

Tidus drew back with suspicion. "Uh-oh. Rikku's been _planning_ something for me."

"This one's my idea." Moving behind him, Yuna covered his eyes and guided him into the lift with Paine.

"Is it orange and squishy with tentacles that light up?"

"Nope," Yuna chirped but laughed at his guess.

Paine made a face at the weird description but stepped to close the doors and press the button for the second deck. "I think I smacked him too hard," she commented on the way up.

When the lift arrived on the cabin's floor, Paine detoured to the shower.

"Thiiis waaay," Yuna sang, guiding him toward the cabin's small platform. "Step up. This way to your right. Okay, your other right. Stop. _Ta-daaa_!" She released her hold and hopped forward to see his reaction.

Tidus blinked at the keyboard in surprise. "Yuna… it was one song. One song I don't even remember that well."

"Okay, maybe I was thinking more of me hearing it than you playing it. But you played it so well at Tobli's I thought... I mean, if you enjoyed music back then, maybe you would enjoy it again now." She shook her head. "I mean ... maybe it's a part of you the same way blitzball is."

He seemed to be searching for enthusiasm.

Yuna's smile faded, but she tried not to be disappointed. "It was a bad idea, wasn't it."

"No."

"It's okay if you don't like it. I knew there was a chance you wouldn't. Rikku said she might want to learn how to play, but if not, we can take it back."

Tidus regarded the keyboard with apprehension. After a brief hesitation, he touched the activation button and tested the volume. Then, closing his eyes, he reached into his memories for the forgotten melody. His fingers instinctively found the tune again. This time the song flowed more easily, rippling over itself with soft emotion. As more of the song returned, he continued to follow it through.

Poking her head out of the bathroom, Paine came out wrapped in a large towel and stood by Yuna to listen with surprise and approval.

"Hey, are we going to Baaj today, or ..." Rikku had entered the cabin but quieted with delight. "Wow," she mouthed in astonishment to Yuna after hearing a few bars.

Yuna beamed with pride at Tidus's hidden talent and nodded in agreement.

))((

Tidus heard only the music in his head. His fingers mysteriously knew exactly where to fall to produce the ebb and flow in the haunting composition. This song was important for some reason. But why?

When he lifted his fingers from the last, fading note, sudden applause broke the silence. Eyes wide, he looked over his shoulder to see he had collected a small audience.

Yuna grinned with pride and applauded with baby claps at her chin, grateful he had tried.

"Not too bad, Maestro," Paine complimented. "That was really pretty."

"That was amazing!" Rikku beamed and clapped with excitement. "Why didn't you tell us you played keyboards?"

"I didn't know I could … until yesterday." Turning, he faced his girlfriend, apologetic. "Yuna, you know I appreciate the gesture, but …"

"I understand." She kissed his cheek and rubbed his arm in consolation. "Hey, maybe I can learn how to play it, so you don't have to. How did it go again?" Placing her fingers over the keys, she tested a few notes and tried to match the tune as she remembered it.

Tidus winced at her attempts until he could stand it no longer. Moving behind her before she could butcher the little tune any further, he placed his hands over hers and pressed her fingers over the keys of the beginning notes.

She gave it another try on her own but failed and frowned in frustration.

He chuckled. "Not quite." Slipping his hands beneath hers, he showed her again.

Yuna folded her own hands to her chest to more easily see to the notes played but became engrossed watching the slow-grace movement of his hands. Like a purring cat, she sank back against him, content to listen.

))((

Despite his initial reluctance, Tidus thought this was nice. Seeing Yuna happy made him happy. Being close with her at the keyboard like this felt right. But it was also frightening. He remembered now. It had been like this once before ... with Lenne.


	13. Chapter 13: An Unlikely Ally

Chapter 13: An Unlikely Ally

All alone this time, Tidus reported for guard duty at the temple in Kilika. He wore his warrior sphere with the black basilisk armor, thinking he'd be taken more seriously as a real guard, compared to the yellow blitz uniform he wore as Yuna's guardian. Climbing the long steps up to the temple, he reached over his back to be sure his sword was secure in its sheath and headed into one of the two side chambers first. There, he was referred to a man named Peresu in the temple proper. Jogging into the interior, he found himself whistling his mysterious tune until the "Hymn of the Fayth" being sung by some of the priests distracted him. "I'm looking for Peresu?" he asked of the first priest he passed.

"At the Cloister of Trials." The man pointed up.

Tidus briefly bowed with thanks then jogged up the steps to meet the man at the top. "Are you Peresu? I'm on the roster for guarding the spheres."

"Name?" the bored guard asked.

"Tidus," he answered, assuming he was speaking to the right guy.

"From?"

He almost said Zanarkand. "Besaid," Tidus offered instead.

"Besaid guardians … Tidus …" Finding the name, Peresu chuckled as he checked it off. "Very well. This way."

Confused at the strange reception, Tidus followed him down into the Cloister of Trials. About halfway through the tunnel, Peresu pulled a key from his pocket and slid it into a barely noticeable crack in the wall. A panel on the floor opened, and he gestured toward it.

"This area is off-limits to anyone without permission to be here, so if anyone other than your partner's replacement shows up, you are to report it and hold them for questioning. There's a holding cell just inside the treasury vault - the door just before the sphere vault. Don't speak to anyone about anything you see down there. You only hold this position because you've gained your commander's highest trust, and his head will be on the line if you fail. Do you understand?"

"Commander? Oh, … you mean Yuna."

"Lady Yuna, in your case. Go relieve one of the guards on duty. Another person will be along shortly to relieve the other."

Tidus climbed down the ladder into the opening. Once he was at the bottom, the opening at the top closed, sealing him inside. It wasn't a comforting sound or feeling. The tunnel in which he stood was carved from stone and braced with large wooden beams. Torches were its only source of light. Kilika's underground wasn't as nice as Bevelle's, and this place looked old - _really old._

The tunnel curved around and down until he saw two people standing at a large, magically warded door - the treasury vault, no doubt. The guards regarded him with suspicion but allowed him to pass. Further down the tunnel and to the left, two more guards watched another door warded with glyphs, but they immediately raised their weapons. Tidus raised his hands to show he was not a threat. "I'm just here to relieve one of you from guard duty."

One of the guards was a female guado; the other, a man from the Youth League. The Youth League representative removed a small, flat device from his pocket and scrolled through the information stored in it. "Name and station?"

"Tidus ... Besaid." It felt strange to say that again. Strange, but good.

The guard found Tidus's name and description entry. "Seventeen, one year experience as a personal guardian for summoner pilgrimage, longsword specialties." He took note of the large sword strapped to Tidus's back.

Tidus patiently waited to pass the second checkpoint inspection.

"Build is small, height is ..." The Youth League guard paused to estimate Tidus's height visually. "Short," he decided.

Tidus frowned.

The guard continued comparing the physical descriptions, then laughed. "Spunky blond hair, beautiful blue eyes, tanned skin, adorable little nose, and radiant smile?" The guard laughed some more as he looked up from the report. "_Lovely_ resume."

The guado guardian laughed, too, but kept her magical staff aimed at Tidus's chest. "Guess you really impressed your captain. Either he really _loves_ you, or he_ really_ hates you."

"Does it _actually say_ that?" Tidus reached for the device to read it himself, but the Youth League guard snapped it out of reach.

"Well, I certainly didn't make it up as I went along, Sunshine. But it looks like you are who you claim to be. This job's pretty simple. Stay awake until your replacement arrives, and don't let anyone who comes down here without permission escape. There's a copy of the roster on this imprint pad if you need to check names and descriptions of your replacements. No formal notifications - no entry. Got it?" He allowed Tidus to have the imprint pad, nodded to the guado still waiting for her relief, then headed down the tunnel toward the exit.

Tidus immediately checked the roster, turning it upside down and then on its side before finally holding it the right way to read it. The description on his profile had been copied from the paper Yuna signed in Baralai's office. It was her handwriting, right down to the little sketched hearts decorating his name. "What the …?" He chuckled, considering how insulted she had been while she was writing it. In fact, that's probably why she did it - to further annoy Baralai since he didn't want Tidus on the watch bill in the first place.

"The next person that comes down here should be my replacement," the guado told him. "When he arrives, cross his name out. Then, you shouldn't have any more visitors for another seven hours."

Tidus lifted his chin from musing over Yuna's defiant but humorous description of him. "_Seven hours?_" This place was about as exciting as watching hair grow. "Can we go in there and watch some spheres while we wait?" He gestured to the door.

"Not unless you want to be fried by the magical wards." She stepped back and took another discerning look at him. "You look really familiar for some reason."

"Are you a blitzball fan?" He gave her a playful smile along with his hint.

"No."

His smile dropped. "Oh."

"Wait a second. Are you that unsent blitzball player from Zanarkand?"

"Do I look unsent? I am _not_ unsent," he answered, annoyed.

"Maester Seymour didn't look unsent either, but he was." She was quietly amused as she studied his face and form, trying to discern the truth. Then, she stepped forward and sniffed him.

Tidus drew back, offended. "Look, I don't mean to be rude, but ..."

"The scent of the Farplane lingers, but …" She stepped closer and sniffed him again. "But there's something different about it."

His brow quirked in doubt. "You smell the Farplane on me?"

"The Farplane is filled with magical flowers that do not grow anywhere else on Spira. They help departed souls rest in peace. Guado are sensitive to their fragrance because we live so close to it." She would have explained more, but they both heard footsteps approaching. "Praetor Baralai?" The surprised guado greeted him with a formal bow.

))((

At the ancient ruins of Baaj, Shinra placed the com sphere on one of the long, thin paths that seemed to defy gravity the way it arched above the water without any supports. After making a few adjustments, he touched it to activate the connection from that end. "Done." The boy stood and dusted his hands. "Can we go back now? I don't like this place." Water fiends swam between the sunken columns and statues below him.

Yuna smiled and held out her hand. "We're done for today. Thanks for the help."

"No problem." Shinra grasped her hand and let her lead him along the cracked path above the watery graveyard back to the airship.

After the boy went inside, Yuna lingered behind and walked back to one of the stone ledges. Sitting down to enjoy the sunset over the water, she hummed Tidus's song and stared at the ring that graced her middle finger. It was just a cheap shell, but it was more precious to her now than any expensive jewel.

"What'cha doing?" Rikku sat beside her, feet splayed out to either side of her hips.

"The light on the water makes me think of that song Tidus played. It's very reflective. Don't you think so?"

"Yeah, kind of." Rikku grinned as she studied her cousin's face. "You're really happy to have him back, aren't you?"

Yuna blushed. "I used to feel that we went through so much to bring the Calm, and yet … I wasn't able to enjoy it with him. But Tidus is back. I'm doing something I enjoy. And all my friends are together again. Now _I _can enjoy the Calm, too."

"Good for you, Yunie," Rikku softly congratulated her.

"Tomorrow, we need to locate Seymour's sphere and take it to Kimahri… if it's the right one. And, are you doing anything tonight? Would you like to go to Luca with me?" Yuna stretched her legs on the stone slab and tapped her toes together as she leaned back on her hands for support.

"Sure. In the mood for a movie or some sphere break since Tidus isn't here to smooch on?"

"Ah!"

"Well, that _would _be more fun, right?" Rikku couldn't be blamed for stating facts.

Yuna laughed with her. "Well, yes, but I want to see if I can find a sphere of his song."

The thief's nose twitched. "Okay, but ... how? Do you know what it's called?"

"No, but hopefully a little bit of leg work and a lot of luck will go a long way." Yuna stood and clasped her hands behind her back. "Let's get some gil and see if Brother will take us to Luca."

))((

"Change of plans in the guard roster at the last minute," Baralai told the guado female at Tidus's side. "I'm your replacement, and you are relieved." Taking the imprint pad from Tidus, he crossed out the name of the person he was replacing. Then, he tucked it into his own pocket and gave the guado a formal bow.

"Thank you, Praetor." Still surprised, the guado dismissed her summoned weapon, bowed, and walked back down the tunnel toward the exit.

Tidus met the praetor's small brown eyes without backing down from his stare. "Didn't trust me?"

"No," Baralai answered honestly. Closing his eyes for a second, he summoned his double-ringed, razor-bladed staff.

Tidus shook his head in disbelief. "You would actually leave your cushy office to stand down here for _seven_ hours looking at rock walls because you couldn't trust me? That is _sad_."

"If that's what you think, you don't understand the importance of guarding these spheres. How much do you know about New Yevon, _Tidus_?"

"You mean other than how to spell it?" With a frown, Tidus slumped against the door frame. Baralai wasn't unfriendly, but Tidus could tell this was going to be a very strained evening.

Baralai moved to the other side of the door and looked straight ahead while speaking. "The founder and first chairman of New Yevon was a man named Trema. After Yuna brought the Eternal Calm, he started an organization of sphere hunters called the Seekers. Their purpose was to recover as many spheres as possible, and in doing so, recover Spira's lost past. He then organized New Yevon to protect the temples and preserve the spheres that were found. But when he began to hoard the spheres in secret, as the old Yevon maesters did, people became suspicious. He told us the only way to move toward the future was to destroy the past. When groups like the Youth League put pressure on him to make the spheres public, we investigated and discovered he had been using New Yevon as a front to cover his secret destruction of the spheres."

"Bit embarrassing, huh?" Tidus smirked. "No wonder you guys don't like saying much about what goes on behind your doors."

Baralai frowned at his sarcasm. "Trema's betrayal hurt the people who trusted him more than it did those who disagreed with him. The rest of New Yevon felt that, while change should occur slowly over time, radical destruction of the past would be like burning a bridge before knowing where it leads. So, we decided he was no longer an asset to our purposes. He was forced to resign, but he fled and took several precious spheres with him. He never came back, and a new chairman was promoted to take his place." He paused and allowed himself a small smile. "Are you aware of the engagement negotiations between the chairman's son and Lady Yuna?"

Tidus remembered what Yuna said to Baralai after the first meeting when they apologized for being absent and looked across the glowing door between them. "I thought she was engaged to you."

Baralai seemed genuinely amused that he had been concerned about that possibility. "No. Although many people assume so because of a misunderstanding about the last turnover in leadership. The chairman and his son, the first praetor, became a bit too power-hungry, so they were forced to resign, and I was elected praetor in his son's place. So, … it wasn't me. And Yuna wasn't really engaged; he offered, and she refused. I didn't meet Yuna until after I'd been elected to replace him." The praetor seemed amused again - this time at the visible relief on Tidus's face.

"But you made it sound like … you cared about her."

"I do. We've become close friends since then. I didn't say those things to hurt her. I said them because I'm concerned that ..."

"That I'm not good enough for her," Tidus surmised.

"I will always have her best interest at heart. Anyway, it's been my job to clean up Trema's mess ever since. We finally found his body in the Via Infinito, and we found some of the shattered spheres he had taken with him. We're still not completely sure how he died, though."

"_Completely_?" Tidus looked to the praetor with a quirked brow. Baralai may not have known everything about the event, but he apparently knew something.

"To destroy a thousand years of history in one instant could only have been madness, ... or possession."

"Oh, okay, now I get it. You're blaming Shuyin for possessing him, too?"

Baralai's eyes shifted sidelong toward him. "I'm explaining why it's important to guard these spheres. They are all that we have left."

The sound of the treasury door down the tunnel opening and closing reminded them of the fact that they were not alone in their hidden location under the temple, so they continued their conversation in hushed tones.

Tidus shrugged. "Well, it sounds to me like Trema found something on those spheres that made him panic if he was so bent on destroying them."

"Some things are better left unsaid to avoid widespread panic. But there is no excuse for the destruction of truth, no matter how shocking it may be." Baralai gave him a meaningful look for a moment, then turned away, pacing lightly.

Tidus gave the praetor a peculiar glance for that comment. _Some things are better left unsaid_ ... "Did you tell anyone that I was from Zanarkand?"

"I assume you are referring to the rumors circulating thanks to the Luca interview you did with Sunsa? No, that is not my doing. I have no idea who would resort to gossip to try to destroy your reputation, but people are certainly talking. They say you are unsent and wonder why we do not send you. That makes it all the more difficult to be in my position and include you in the conference. A fiend does not normally want an alliance, nor does it have friends willing to defend it. But if it did, ... would that make it any less a fiend?"

Tidus was disgusted at being compared to a fiend, and he was about to refute Baralai's opinions when a movement behind the praetor's shoulder caught his eye - a gun being hoisted onto a masked man's shoulder. "Look out!" He grabbed Baralai's coat and pulled him face down to the ground as the gun fired.

Baralai looked behind him as five masked men ran down the hall toward them. "Don't let them get to the door!" Back on his feet, he spun his ringed staff into a spear-head position.

Tidus unsheathed Caladbolg with a loud _shiiing_ and moved into position beside Baralai to confront the oncoming ambush.

))((

Rikku and Yuna arrived in Luca as dusk turned into night. Under starry skies with an ocean breeze, they strolled around the docks that surrounded the port city. At the music store, however, no amount of searching the database of registered songs was able to match the tune that Yuna hummed into it. Eventually, she gave up and went to the front desk.

"Excuse me," she spoke to the lady at the register.

"Lady Yuna! What a surprise! What can we help you with today?" The clerk was excited to have a celebrity in the store.

"Well, I'm looking for a song. Only I don't know the title."

"Not a problem. Our select-a-tune has the largest database of songs in Spira just for those pesky titles that escape us sometimes."

"I've already tried; it's not in there."

"Oh? Well, what kind of song is it?"

"It's ... kind of old. It's a Zanarkand song, I think."

"Oh my. I don't think we have anything that old."

Yuna was disappointed. "Would you happen to know of anyone who collects rare music?"

"I'm afraid not. Um, Lady Yuna? Could you ...? Would you mind ...?" With a pleading expression, the clerk lifted a piece of paper and pen.

Yuna smiled and accepted the items for an autograph. "You need to come to my next concert, okay? I'm going to do it in the Zanarkand Ruins for the opening ceremony of the new sphere library."

"Oh, that sounds wonderful! Is that why you're wanting Zanarkand music? Or, is it because of ... _him?_"

Yuna blinked. "_Him_?"

"You know - the blitzball player. Is he really from Zanarkand? Is he really unsent?"

Pressing her lips together, Yuna finished the autograph and handed it back to the woman. "He's not unsent."

"Oh, good. I didn't think he could be, because you would probably never be with him if he was, right?" She laughed with embarrassment for having asked.

"I think it would be very fitting to have a Zanarkand song played for the concert. Something besides the 'Hymn of the Fayth.' Something that represents a time when Zanarkand was full of life instead of death. Please, come if you can." Yuna said nothing more as she bowed her head and left the store.

Rikku whimpered and followed after her.

Stopping at the rail on the docks overlooking the water, Yuna stared angrily at the reflection of the lamplight on the dark water below.

The small thief stopped beside her and leaned over the rail to look into her sad face. "You know she wasn't trying to be mean, ... right?"

"I know. I just can't help thinking of what Tidus is going to face at his next game. It could affect his ability to play well; it could make the Aurochs lose supporters. Rikku, we can't let this rumor about him being unsent keep going. But I don't know how to stop it. I've already done a com cast to try to correct it, and so did he. What more can we do?"

With a discouraged sigh, Rikku's mouth quirked in puzzlement, and she looked down at the water. "For once, ... I have no plan," she apologized.


	14. Chapter 14: Trouble in the Temple

Chapter 14: Trouble in the Temple

A noxious gas exploded in the corridor, magically blinding the two guardians of the sphere vault. Overcome with a coughing fit in the fumes and trying to see through the black void, Tidus realized too late he had come unprepared to shake off magical attacks. He could hear Baralai already clashing with the vault raiders, but if he was blinded as well, they could accidentally hurt each other. The praetor had commanded him to guard the door of the vault, so with a hand against the wall as his guide, Tidus found and planted himself firmly in front of the door. Gripping Caladbolg tightly, he knew it was only a matter of time before the fight came to him. This was a good time to practice what Paine had taught him. Ignoring the irritation in his lungs and the nerves in his stomach, he tried to focus on the sounds of Baralai's battle. A shuffling of quick feet, a swish of air, a grunt of discomfort ... An attack was coming his way.

When the vibrations of the sounds began to feel uncomfortably close, he swung Caladbolg and was surprised to block a blade aimed at his head. Grabbing the arm at the end of that sword, he threw his opponent against the magically warded door behind him. The wild zapping of the thundaga spells was enough to remind Tidus what would happen to him if he got too close, as well. Before he could congratulate himself on a quick victory, however, someone fired a gun. Pain seared into his arm. Still blinded, he realized there was no way he could defend himself against missiles, either.

A firaga spell engulfed someone, but the sound of Baralai's staff spinning and weaving a defensive shield around himself meant he had not fallen victim to it. The gun fired again and again until Baralai's razor-sharp staff stopped spinning and silenced it. Still, the thieves kept coming.

Tidus moved to the side of the warded door and pressed his back against the wall. A bullet hit and was deflected from his basilisk cuirass. Grateful he'd made the right choice in armor, he swung Caladbolg in the direction of the hit, but this time caught only air. Another attack immediately followed from behind - a stab to his back that somehow _did_ penetrate the strong, supple armor. Then, something hard slammed into his cheek and bottom lip staggering him to the floor. Judging by the multiple, swift attacks, he was surrounded by at least three more thieves.

His lungs burned, making it hard to breathe, and he tasted his own blood on his tongue. Wincing at the pain in his arm and back, he tightened his hold on Caladbolg and swept it forward once more. His bet that the close-range attackers were still near paid off. After hitting one of the thieves, he struck again, hard and fast. Most of his hits were low, so they adapted with low blocks. When he suddenly struck high, the shift up against one of his opponents surprised him, creating an opening in their ring. A grapple and shove toward the electrical glyphs in the locked door ended what Caladbolg could not.

When the attacks stopped coming, and Caladbolg met with no more resistance, Tidus dropped to his knees in exhaustion. The tunnel fell silent, except for the sound of his own lungs coughing and laboring to expel the noxious gas. "Praetor Baralai, are you still there?" he gasped in a dry, hoarse voice.

One more pair of boots moved a short distance ahead of him. As they closed the distance, Tidus could hear a soft _chink_ of rings slide to the tip of a razor-sharp spear. Though his eyes were open, he still saw only the void of his magical blindness. Closing his eyes, Tidus bowed his head and tried to catch his breath. The boots came to a stop before him. A moment of silence followed, then Tidus heard the rings slide back in the other direction against the fist holding the shaft. "Praetor Baralai, … is that you?" If the praetor was still alive, why was he not responding?

))((

Baralai lowered the tip of his ringed spear over the back of Yuna's favored guardian again. The young man on his hands and knees, lost in a fog of magical darkness, was bleeding very real blood and seemed to be in a lot of pain. One correctly placed stab with the lethal staff would forever settle the matter of whether Tidus was among the living or the dead.

But, sighing to himself, he lowered the staff and placed his free hand on the guardian's head. "Still here." Casting a spell, he cleansed the toxin from Tidus's lungs and dispelled the magical smoke from his eyes.

Tidus looked up with gratitude and exhaled relief but seemed cautious of the praetor's delayed aid. Then he scanned the results of the battle.

Baralai did the same. Several bodies in black uniforms lay scattered on the floor, but the door remained sealed. "We need reinforcements, but we cannot leave the door unguarded."

"I'll stay here," Tidus volunteered, throat still raspy.

Baralai had no choice now but to trust him. Crouching beside the injured guardian, he cast a couple more healing spells over the worst of Tidus's wounds. That would have to hold him together until he was relieved of duty, regardless of whether he was real, illusion, or unsent.

Without further words, the praetor rose and headed down the hall toward the exit, but paused as he passed the treasury door. Something was amiss. With furrowed brows, he strode back to the sphere vault and rolled one of the bodies over, pulling the black mask from the face. "Check the faces of the others."

Tidus scooted toward one of the bodies near the door and removed the mask.

"They were treasury guards. We've got spies among us. Search all of the bodies for clues about who they might be working for." Standing, Baralai stood and marched away, trying not to choke on the bitter taste of betrayal from an _unexpected_ source.

))((

Still tasting the blood in his mouth from his cut lip, Tidus sheathed Caladbolg and dragged himself over the body of the thief with the gun. Turning out pockets and utility belt pouches, he searched for anything of significance. When the first body turned up nothing, he moved to the next. Finding a spare bottle of healing potion, he quaffed it down and tossed the bottle aside before moving to the third thief. A white cloth tucked inside of this one's sleeve caught his attention. Pinching the cloth, he pulled it free. Opening it revealed three black symbols. The first he remembered seeing on the flag of the new Youth League headquarters. The second symbol was unknown to him. But the third was surprisingly all-too familiar. "The Zanarkand Abes?"

))((

Rikku tried hard to think of a plan to stop the gossip about Tidus from spreading all across Spira. She was trying so hard that her head was beginning to hurt. "We'll think of something. Don't you worry," she told Yuna. "Meanwhile, I know how we might be able to find your song."

Yuna lifted her chin from gazing into the dark waters beneath the Luca docks and looked to her cousin with curiosity.

"Well, it's a one-in-a-million shot, and he might say no. But if he's going to be releasing them eventually anyway, maybe Baralai would let you browse the temple sphere collection to see if there's any music in them."

Yuna's face lit at the possibilities. "Rikku! That's brilliant!"

"It is?" Rikku blinked in surprise at her own genius.

"Why didn't I think of that? Even if we can't find Tidus's song, there might be other recordings of Zanarkand music we could use for the concert. Rikku, this is going to be the best concert ever! As soon as we check out Baaj, we'll ask Baralai about the temple's spheres!"

"Right!"

"There's probably nothing more we can do here tonight, though. Are you ready to head back?"

"Yep!" Rikku ran down the docks, challenging Yuna to keep up as she rounded the corner to the central area of the Luca stadium. Then, she slowed to a walk and hopped down the stairs into the locker room lobby to use one of the public spheres that linked communications all over Spira. Placing her hands on the sphere, she tapped through the small series of menus to get the link she wanted. A few seconds later a man with a blond mohawk and a very tattooed face appeared in the sphere's blue gel. "Brother? Come and get us."

"Rogerruu!"

"Did anyone else come after the Baaj sphere yet?" Yuna asked over Rikku's shoulder.

"Not yet. So far, she is all ours!" The tattooed man strutted like a chicken to indicate this meant they were on top of things. "Buddy! It's time to pick up Yuna!" His face blurred and faded from the gel.

Rikku's grin fell. "Hey! What about me? He never includes me."

As they turned to leave, a cleaning lady came down into the locker room lobby with her supply cart. Pausing at the sight of Yuna, she approached the locker room of the Besaid Aurochs with caution. "Is he in there? Now?" she timidly asked, pointing a finger.

"Who? Tidus?" Rikku picked up the question. "Of course not. It's not game time, is it?"

The cleaning lady nodded with nervous relief, then pushed the door open and wheeled her supply cart inside.

With a heavy sigh, Yuna followed her into the locker room. "He said in the com cast that he's not unsent. Why does no one believe him?"

Hesitating to respond, the cleaning lady picked up her broom. "The maesters of Yevon tainted everyone's trust. We cannot believe what we see anymore, and he didn't answer the reporter's question about where he was for two years. Some say he died." Clearly, she was challenging Yuna to answer for him.

Yuna seemed torn about what to say. Lie? Tell the truth? Refuse to talk about it any more? "He was with me," she stubbornly answered. "He was with me for two years, watching over me, helping me find my way, to be sure I didn't get lost."

Rikku was shocked. Yunie _lied_? Yunie never lied! Although it was kinda true, ... she guessed.

"Even if what you say is true, he will have to prove his worst skeptics wrong. Trust once broken must be re-earned." The cleaning lady moved to the corner of the room and began sweeping.

Rikku remembered Lulu's execution of a perfect fireball, and how Tidus used his own back as a shield to break the onslaught of flames. Yuna didn't need to lie for him. Tidus would regain everyone's trust, even though he did nothing to deserve losing it. She just hoped he had a better plan for how to do that than she or Lulu did.

))((

Later that night, as Yuna climbed into bed and prepared to turn out the light, she looked toward the empty futon, missing Tidus's usual good-night kiss. With a sigh, she realized there was no point leaving a light on for him while he had guard duty. Turning out the light, she drew her pillow into a comfortable position under her head, breathed a sigh, and closed her eyes.

Moments later, the cabin door opened with a hiss, and heavy boots crossed the floor of the private-quarters deck. "Yuna," Tidus called toward the loft.

Surprised, Yuna scrambled out of bed to lean over the rail and see him, but he wasn't alone. Baralai stood by his side. Something was wrong.

Awakened by the call, Rikku sat up and snapped the light on.

With dread, Yuna hurried down the stairs. "Oh my gosh!" she exclaimed as soon as the light revealed their haggard exhaustion and Tidus's condition. "What happened?"

Tidus began unbuckling his armor to remove it. "Our watch was hit by an ambush."

"Some thieves tried to break into the sphere vault," Baralai further explained.

Alert to the light and conversation, one-by-one, the rest of the Gullwings crew filtered out of their beds to see what was going on.

Baralai related the events of the evening that led to the fight. "I've doubled security and called in the next watch for emergency purposes, so that's going to change the current schedule. I'll update you as soon as I write a new one."

"How many were there?" Cid asked.

"Enough to almost overwhelm us. Two were temple guards. But one of the thieves carried a clue that might lead us to whoever sent them - a white cloth marked with symbols from the Youth League and the Seekers, believe it or not." Baralai adjusted his blue headband. "The other symbol I can't place, though it looks familiar. I'm opening an investigation on the guards to find out how deeply we've been infiltrated. I don't want to take the path of punishments Old Yevon took toward traitors, but I can't let them get away with this."

"Hmm." The elder Al Bhed's eyes narrowed slightly. "An attack like that sounds like something the meyvn of the Youth League would do."

Barali shook his head in disgust. "Maybe Nooj is up to his old tricks again, but this might be something new. I don't know what to think anymore."

"Nooj is under negotiations for the project," Paine spoke. "You're on common ground now. He wouldn't launch an attack on you and risk losing that."

"Never stopped him from attacking common ground before."

"That Nooj wasn't _our_ Nooj. That was Shuyin."

"Never-the-less, he did what he did," Baralai argued. This was a painful reminder of that for both of them.

Paine studied her friend's worried countenance and sighed. "Sounds like a tough fight. Are you okay?"

He nodded with reluctance. "We both got stomped pretty good since we were outnumbered, but Tidus received the brunt of the attack. So I've decided he needs rest, rather than keeping the remainder of the entire seven-hour watch by himself. What's left of my healing spells are reserved in case I have to cope with any more surprises at the temple. I'll speak with the captain of the guards to see what he knows about the two men from the treasury, but then I'll have to speak with Nooj."

"If he thinks you're accusing him of a crime when he's innocent, the negotiations could fall apart," Yuna warned. "Spira could become divided again. We can talk to him … if you like? He might be more open to speaking with us."

"True." Baralai struggled quietly with his frustration over the situation.

With a sympathetic wince, Rikku stepped forward. "If you're conserving your healing spells, maybe we could fix you up with ours before you go back."

Baralai responded with a wan smile. "Thank you, Rikku."

She helped him remove his coat. "You should wash up, so we can see which injuries need the strongest spells first." Pointing to the sink in the bathroom, she followed him to it.

Tidus pulled off his pauldrons and stacked them with his cuirass for repairs before putting them back into the magical garment grid. He reached to unstrap Caladbolg's sheath, but his wounded arm refused to stretch.

Yuna moved behind him to help. "Do you suppose they were sphere hunters trying to make a quick fortune? News of the library project has been all over the com casts, so even thieves might know about it."

Paine leaned on the bar and tapped her fingertips thoughtfully as she watched Rikku attempting to aid Baralai at the sink. "This sounds too calculated for ordinary thieves. They're either a professional crime syndicate, or there's an open rebellion brewing against New Yevon." She absently rubbed a knuckle as she contemplated the circumstances.

As soon as Yuna freed Tidus from his sword and helped him out of his bracers, he joined Baralai and Rikku at the sink to wait his turn in somber silence.

Baralai removed his crimson-stained, white-linen shirt and braced himself over the sink while Rikku carefully applied a few cure spells to his arms and torso. "Would you guys be interested in doing some footwork for me?"

Tidus shrugged. "Brother's the boss. You'll have to take it up with him."

"P-shaw on that," Rikku dismissed it. "What do you need us to do?"

"Well, I hate to suggest it, but it might be good to talk to Leblanc."

"Ack!" Rikku choked and stuck out her tongue. "Noooooo! Isn't there some other kind of job you need us to do?"

Baralai chuckled at her reaction. "Just one interview."

"Leblanc? Isn't that 'Noojie-Woojie's' girl?" Tidus asked, remembering her from their one and only meeting in Guadosalam.

Baralai allowed himself a skeptical smile. "I guess you could call her that. Leblanc is a sphere hunter like the Gullwings, but unlike the Gullwings, she's not above pulling a few dirty tricks to get the spheres that she wants. She knows what goes on in the Youth League, and she knows what goes on in the underworld operations of sphere hunting. She might be able to shed light on what Nooj has been up to without having to confront him directly."

Rikku frowned and crossed her arms over her chest. "Oh, okay," she groused with a pout.

"Thank you. And ... thank you." For the second thanks, he indicated the wounds she had just closed for him. Picking up his blood-stained shirt, he put it back on. Then, he accepted his coat back from her. "I should be going." He paused in front of Tidus and set a hand to his shoulder briefly, letting him know he was grateful for his help in the temple.

Tidus sighed and moved closer to the sink. Shrugging out of his shirt, he dropped it to the floor and began rinsing away the dried blood from his injuries. His back had bled the worst, but at least it had already been healed.

"I can't believe we have to work with that woman again." Rikku passed the clean washcloths she had not used to Tidus. "That's the last time I open my mouth volunteering to help." Picking up the dirty washcloths, she took them to the hamper at the back of the bathroom.

"Oh, ... Baralai?" Yuna stopped him at the bathroom door. "Maybe this isn't a good time to ask, but ... would it be possible for me to look through the temple's sphere collection to find some Zanarkand music for the concert? I know it's trivial in light of tonight's events, but ..."

"Music spheres?" Baralai considered what he knew about the spheres the temple owned. "I don't think anyone's ever wanted to use them to find music. I'd love to say yes, but I don't think it's a good idea – not right now."

Yuna was disappointed. "Why not?"

Baralai considered his words carefully. "I give you my word that the temple will eventually release all of its spheres, but it needs to be done gradually … in stages. Some spheres carry disturbing images from Spira's past."

"Disturbing images?" Yuna frowned with curiosity.

Tidus stopped the noisy flow of warm water from the sink so he could hear this.

The praetor glanced to him and the other sleepy Gullwings, who stood in silence, listening. "Images that disturbed Trema enough to want to destroy all spheres that recorded Spira's past," he hesitantly explained.

Tidus almost smiled in smug satisfaction. "So, I was right guessing he saw something that made him panic?"

"Look, I can't say any more about it." Baralai backed out of the conversation. "I just don't think it would be wise for you to browse through the whole sphere collection yet. But if a sphere with music comes to mind, I will certainly release it to you." With a small bow of apology for declining her request, the praetor excused himself to leave.

Yuna didn't know what to think of the praetor's defensive behavior, or what he had said. His mention of Trema reminded her of his ghostly image in the depths of the Via Infinito before he transformed into an incredibly powerful fiend. Then that brought to mind the most recent discovery in that mysterious, hidden dungeon. "Baralai?" She caught him again before he could reach for the cabin door. "When the Machine Faction was setting up to begin repairs on Spira's core, Brother sent a watcher into the Via Infinito. We found an unsent woman down there. She was terrified and looking for an escape when she vanished and reappeared, but she didn't turn into a fiend. Do you know who she was?"

Baralai's light brown skin would have drained of all color to match his snow-white hair if it could have. As it was, he tried not to let his surprise show. "The Via Infinito is probably as old as Spira itself, and not much is known about it. Most people in the temple didn't even know it existed until those children discovered the portal."

Tidus leaned against the sill of the bathroom door. "But _you_ know about it because you found Trema's body. Why did he go down there? What is it?"

"And who would put something as dangerous as an elder drake under a temple?" Brother demanded. "It broke my watcher and knocked it down one of the holes," he added with a disgruntled growl.

"It's Spira's Hell." Shinra joined his older friends congregating around the New Yevon praetor.

"What? How would you know anything about it?" Rikku sat on a stool at the bar, tapping the toes of her fuzzy moogle slippers together.

"I know everything," Shinra reminded her in his usual matter-of-fact tone. "In ancient mythologies, there were places of rest and unrest for the dead. If the Farplane is a place of rest for the dead souls of Spira, it makes sense there must also be a place of unrest to balance the magic. The Via Infinito seems to fit that description, seeing as how it's a dungeon full of extreme fiends." The small boy looked to Baralai. "Am I right?"

All eyes turned toward the praetor, awaiting his answer.

))((

Secrets closely guarded for more than a thousand years lay on the edge of Baralai's lips. But was it wise to release them?

Paine stood from her place at the bar and approached with a frown. "Spill it."


	15. Chapter 15: Keeper of Secrets

Chapter 15: Keeper of Secrets

Baralai acknowledged Shinra's clever logic with a touch of admiration and a heavy sigh. "When the Farplane was summoned into the heart of the ship, there needed to be a balance in the exchange of positive and negative energy at the core, so ... they had to create an infinite dungeon."

"Wait a minute. If you know that, then did you know Spira was a ship before we told you?" Buddy asked with surprise.

"Yes. It used to be common knowledge until the Machina War clouded everything. After the war, Yevon decided it was information best kept locked away. The secret has been kept ever since because most of the evidence has been destroyed or forgotten. To some extent, it's good because a heavy burden and high risk come with this knowledge. If anyone tries to control the ship, the rest of us will be at the mercy of a fate worse than Sin."

"Then who is the captain? New Yevon?" Brother asked.

Baralai shook his head. "Spira herself. She's a living entity that flows through all of this machina and land." He sighed, unable to believe he was telling them this, but since the Fayth had already let the cat out of the bag to Yuna, perhaps it was time to follow their lead. "The woman you saw in the Via Infinito... That was Spira. She was and always will be the ship's captain."

"What happened to her?" Yuna asked, obviously remembering the ghost's terror.

"We only know parts of the story because our resources are limited. Spira was cast into the Via Infinito for treason against the Founders, then her spirit was summoned into the heart of the ship."

"Has anyone ever tried to send her?"

"No. Because if she is sent, our world will die."

"But -"

"She _is _Spira, Yuna." Baralai had to bring her out of her sympathy to realize the painful truth. "She is the breath of life on this colony ship. Without her, we're just another machina lost in space."

"Has anyone at least tried talking to her? She seems so frightened and unhappy. Can't we pull her out of there to rest in the Farplane like everyone else?"

"'Via Infinito' means 'Infinite Way' in one of the Founder's ancient tongues. Her infinite unrest is what gives us a sustainable life."

"That's horrible," Yuna protested.

"And now you understand why this knowledge is a burden, and why most Spirans shouldn't have to carry its weight." Baralai gently confronted her. "Do you see now why her spheres must not fall into the wrong hands? If anyone else learns of her existence and tries to send her or manipulate her, it will be the end of all of us, even if they mean to spare her."

"This ... is recorded in spheres?"

"There are not many left, and they are incomplete."

"May we see them?"

"Yuna." Baralai was becoming exasperated but tried to remain patient. "Seeing her will only increase your compassion, but there is nothing you can do."

"So, we just ignore her pain?"

"No. We protect it, so everyone else on Spira has a chance to live."

"It doesn't seem fair."

"It's not," he agreed. "But that's the truth of the matter. The ship's magic must be balanced, and Spira is necessary for that. And now that I've told you, you must try to forget. We don't want people panicking or using her to their advantage. People are still trying to rebuild their lives in the wake of Sin, and none of us are prepared to handle all of the consequences if this information goes public." A strange silence settled over the room. "I have to go. But please, don't make me use force to make sure this remains a secret. You're my friends. But I will do whatever is necessary to protect her for the sake of the greater good." Baralai gave them a formal bow, then exited the cabin to leave the airship.

))((

Silence surrounded the crew after he left. Paine rubbed a chill from her arms and went back to the bar. Rikku sat down beside her, tucked her over-sized nightshirt between her knees, and dropped her chin into her hand.

"Well, Gullwings," Cid spoke. "That means we keep a tight lid on this thing, right?"

"Rrrright!" Brother seconded. "Although, I still would like to know how they got the elder drakes down there." He rubbed his chin as he contemplated the possibilities.

"Well, it's past my bedtime, and we have a sphere to hunt tomorrow bright and early. I'm going to bed." Shinra waddled back to the barracks.

"Maybe we can send another watcher down there when Baralai's not looking," Buddy suggested to Yuna.

"No, he's got enough on his mind right now." Unable to think of anything further to say about the temple's secret Hell or the unfortunate raid, Yuna sighed and turned her attention back to Tidus.

Without a word, he returned to the sink, moistened a washcloth under the tap water, and returned to cleaning his remaining wounds.

Yuna felt guilty for spending her evening hunting for music when he had been fighting for his life, but now she felt even more guilty knowing a soul lived in torment just so she could breathe, eat, and sleep. Noticing he was having trouble cleaning the bloodstains from his back, she wet another cloth and helped him. Baralai had healed the wound so cleverly she could barely see any scar, but the faint line she did see made her uneasy. It could have been deadly. Could Tidus die like everyone else? She began to wonder how things were different for him in that respect since he was made of magic. Then she realized the silver Abes necklace he always wore was gone. "Where's your chain?"

Tidus put a finger to his lips, checked outside to see if anyone was paying attention to them, and closed the bathroom door. Digging into his pocket, he passed the chain to her along with the matching silver earring. "Find a place to hide them."

The chain slipped between her fingers like liquid silver. "Why?"

"I'm the one that found the cloth with those markings Baralai mentioned. The one he didn't know is the symbol for the Zanarkand Abes. I was lucky to find it before he did and take off the jewelry, but if he associates me with those thieves because of this symbol, I might get blamed for what happened tonight."

"What would the Zanarkand Abes have to do with this?"

"I don't know," he grumbled, discouraged.

"Do you think the thieves are also from ... the dream?"

"Even if the dream still existed, the Fayth wouldn't create a bunch of thieves to steal spheres. They're the ones who told us to collect them into a library in the first place."

"Yes, I suppose collecting them to destroy them sounds more like Trema," she agreed.

"Unless there's some other psychotic sphere hunter out there who would prefer to destroy his own collection."

Astonished, Yuna raised a hand to her mouth. "Didn't Baralai say one of the markings was from the Seekers? Maybe some of the original Seekers are behind this. What if someone who shared Trema's ideas -"

"- tried to pick up where he left off?" Tidus considered her reasoning. "It would explain the attempt to steal the spheres from the temple, but ... why would they wear an Abes symbol if they're trying to destroy the past?"

"Hey! What are you two doing in there? Other people might need a turn, you know." Rikku's voice came from outside the door.

Tidus put a finger to his lips and pointed to his necklace, indicating she shouldn't say anything to anyone until they knew more about the origins of the other Abes symbol.

"Leave 'em alone," they heard Paine respond from the bar.

"But they might be making out or something?" Rikku complained.

Yuna and Tidus looked at each other in mute surprise, then quietly snickered. "Just a minute! I'm ... healing his arm." Yuna answered as she slipped the necklace and earring into her pocket. She quickly finished cleaning the blood from the bullet wound in his arm and cast a cure spell to dissolve the bullet and mend the flesh. "I could have lost you again tonight. I'm so glad you're okay." She paused to hug him before cleaning the messy sink.

Tidus pressed his cheek against her hair and breathed in the scent of her perfume until she pulled away with a kiss. "Ah-tch!" Wincing, he drew back and dabbed his fingertips lightly over his busted lip.

"Oh! Sorry, sorry. Someone hit you pretty good, huh? Why do people always aim for the face in a fight?"

"Probably because it _hurts_."

She pouted sympathetically, then kissed her finger and touched his lips, allowing her white magic to cool and mend the small cut. Rinsing another rag, she wiped the blood from his jaw and smiled at the way he closed his eyes when the soothing warmth touched a tender bruise. "Better?"

"Better." He drew her into his arms. "Hey, if they think they know what we're doing in here, maybe we shouldn't disappoint them," he suggested with a teasing kiss.

Yuna sank into him with a sigh but reminded herself not to hold her breath this time. Marathon kisses were, apparently, one of the hazards of dating a blitzball player.

"Okay! I don't care what you're doing in there! I'm coming in because I gotta go!" Rikku warned through the door before she thrust it open.

"Excuse me," Tidus told Yuna as he released her. Stepping around her and planting a hand against Rikku's forehead, he pushed her back out.

"Now, just a minute!" the small thief protested.

Tidus shut the door, locked it, and returned to Yuna. "Where were we?" he grinned.

Yuna laughed. "What are you doing? You can't do that to her."

"I just did." He shrugged and stole another kiss.

"Hey!" Rikku yelled from the other side of the door and banged on it with her fist. "Take it to the beach or something! I can't wait all night!"

Yuna laughed again at his attempts to ignore her cousin but then left his side to reach for the door.

"Don't touch the lock! Don't touch it!" Reaching around her waist, he tried to block her.

Still laughing, Yuna swatted his hands away from the door handle. "Tidus, you can't just lock someone out of the toilet. She might really have to go."

He groaned in disgust as Yuna undid the latch and opened the door.

"_Shame_ on you for locking me out!" Rikku marched in and pointed a finger in his face. "You shouldn't be doing that in a room we have to share!"

"Well, then that would be the entire airship, wouldn't it?" he retorted, annoyed they were interrupted again. "You're just jealous because you didn't get a kiss from Baralai after you healed him."

Rikku looked as if she could have dropped a cow. "_What?_"

"You know, I have to say, Rikku, Baralai does treat you very sweetly," Yuna noted.

"Yeah, too bad you came downstairs wearing that frumpy nightshirt and no make-up, or he might have thanked you differently before he left," Tidus continued. "Oh, and moogle slippers? Icing on the cake."

From the bar, they could hear muffled laughter from the rest of the crew.

Rikku looked down at her slippers and was horrified at how right he was. "Tidus! _Shut up_ and get _out _of the bathroom!" Rikku smacked his shoulder for the teasing, then swerved behind him and shoved him out. Picking his shirt off the floor, she pitched it at him and slammed the door behind her.

Snickering at having successfully riled her, Tidus picked up the remainder of his basilisk armor and carried it up the stairs to the loft.

Yuna looked to Paine, both of them trying not to laugh before she followed him upstairs. "Rikku will never wear those moogle slippers again, you know."

"Oh, she deserved that, and you know it … banging on the door that way." He dumped his armor on the floor at the foot of his futon and removed the accompanying boots and greaves. Deciding the black shorts worn beneath the greaves were comfortable enough to sleep in, he didn't bother to change before dropping onto his mattress in exhaustion. "How am I supposed to fix my armor before putting it back in the warrior sphere?"

"Shinra can do any needed repairs." Yuna, still amused at his teasing of Rikku, removed his jewelry from her pocket and placed it in a drawer beneath her clothing.

"Anybody mind if I turn out the lights?" Paine came up the stairs behind Yuna.

"The sooner, the better. I'm so done with this day." Tidus rubbed his aching arms and folded one over his pillow as the room dimmed into shadows.

"Goodnight, then." Yuna gave him a kiss and started to walk away, but he snagged her wrist.

"Baralai told me something very interesting tonight about you and the chairman's son - something I'd rather have heard from you. Were you ever going to tell me?" he asked, making room for her to sit beside him.

Sitting on the edge of the futon, Yuna lowered her voice to a hush so the others could sleep. "There's not much to tell. The chairman's son asked me to marry him, and I said no."

"Why?"

"It was a political move on his part, and I was in love with someone else."

Exhausted and sleepy, Tidus smiled. "What if I hadn't come back?"

Yuna giggled. "Who said anything about it being you?"

"You were holding out for Brother?"

"Ssshh." She gave him a light swat for being mean. Teasing aside, she was glad the dark of night hid the color rising in her cheeks. "I believed you when you told me you'd be with me always, you know. But more than that, I didn't think I could ever be happy with anyone else. It was only two years, but I would have waited a hundred more."

"Well, I meant it. I _will_ be with you always," he promised again, in a tone barely above a whisper.

Yuna curled against him and nuzzled into his neck. Resting her ear on his collarbone, she closed her eyes to listen to the resonance of his voice over the sound of his heartbeat.

"Beyond the Farplane, ... beyond the dream, ... across time... Whatever happens, I'll find you. And I'll come back to you... because I love you."

))((

The following morning, Buddy, Shinra, and Brother returned to Bevelle to work under the temple with Gippal and his Machine Faction. As soon as they showed up, Gippal flagged them down and led them to the Heart of the Farplane. "Following Shinra's analysis charts and tracing the source of the main cables, repair stations are set up in all the core pulse areas now. Panels are being removed to begin labeling circuit pathways and parts, but we're having trouble locating the AI. The central processor has to be around here somewhere because this is where all the cables lead." Gippal checked his charts again.

"Up there?" Brother pointed toward the massive, spiraling cable that twisted up from the floor of the heart into mid-air - the one in the center of the Heart of the Farplane upon which Vegnagun still rested.

"What do we do about Vegnagun?" Buddy asked. "Should we try to keep it in-tact, or break it into itty-bitty little parts?"

"The bittier, the better, as far as I'm concerned." Gippal retraced his steps up to Vegnagun, then stopped and looked around. Frowning, he looked at the platform he stood on before the massive machina's skull-like face. "Un-freakin-believable," he muttered in dismay.

"This is where they meet, right?" Shinra asked.

"I don't see anything," Brother stated the obvious. "Maybe Vegnagun is sitting on it?"

"An AI unit for machina this big would be too big for sitting on, ... wouldn't it?" Buddy countered.

Gippal checked his printouts again and scanned the immediate area in dismay. "All these cables can't come to a dead-end right here."

Shinra, Brother, and Buddy gave each other uneasy glances. The word "impossible" came to mind.

With a disgusted sigh, Gippal rolled up the spec sheet and passed it to Buddy. "Shinra, send a couple of watchers down the sides of this platform and check for anything irregular there. Call in a couple of soldier machina and a back-up disassembly team, so we can get this done more quickly. Buddy, see if you can tear up this platform and go down into one of the cables that way. It makes no sense for them to lead to nothing. Every cable we've traced from the pump leads here. Brother, you and I have some pest control to take care of." Gippal walked with Brother toward Vegnagun.

"Looks like a demonic butterfly." Brother made a face, stopped, and began to unpack his tools.

"Really?" Gippal tilted his chin and blinked at the monstrous weapon for a moment. "I thought it looked kinda like Nooj on a bad hair day." With a shrug, he accepted some of Brother's tools. "Alrighty, then. Let's get rid of this thing once and for all." He strode toward Vegnagun, ready to take it on once more - this time, with some screwdrivers, a hammer, and a wrench.


	16. Chapter 16: Sphere Hunters

Chapter 16: Sphere Hunters

The ocean water surrounding the Baaj temple looked particularly green in the morning light. Centuries of algae accumulation on the sunken structures contributed to the emerald color. Beneath the crumbling stone path, it was easy to see the portion of the drowned temple that attracted water fiends. Tidus, Yuna, Paine, and Rikku stood on the edge, looking down into the murky depths, wondering about the best way to get past those fiends safely.

"Paine and I can go first and take out the big one," Tidus suggested, drawing Brotherhood.

"Wait, I've got a better idea." Rikku activated her garment grid, and magic enveloped her, redressing her in orange and blue armor. Walking to the edge of the stones, she hefted the large gun and fired several choice rounds of different ammunition.

Tidus looked at his sword, shrugged, and sheathed it once again, folding his arms at his chest to let Rikku's gun take care of business from a safe distance.

"Rikku." Paine noticed that the largest fiend was beginning to glow with an aura of magic.

Rikku stopped shooting and grabbed two small vials of alchemical ingredients from her utility belt. With an expert flick of her wrist, she opened one vial and capped it into the other. Giving it a light shake, she tossed it into the water.

"Rikku!" Paine yelled.

Too late ... Rikku's bomb hit the water at the same time that the fiend's magical energy charged. The explosion sent a tidal wave over their heads that flushed them off of the stones and into the depths below. The large fiend split into a swarm of pyre flies, but the smaller fiends surrounded them in its place. Sahagin and piranha began to bite and claw at them as they swam toward the underwater entrance to the sunken temple. The battles were small and quick, but repetitive, wasting precious air time. Swimming to the bottom, they found the submerged entrance to the ruins, but they still had to go back up the entrance passages to reach the air trapped inside.

Rikku gasped for breath when she reached the top of the stairs and dragged herself onto the damp stone floor above the water. There, she collapsed on her stomach.

Paine coughed up seawater that she swallowed but then snarled toward their alchemist. "Rikku! Couldn't you see that thing was getting ready to throw a spell at us?"

"Well, after I tossed the bomb." She sniffled at the discomfort of getting water up her nose. "But, it worked, didn't it?"

As she climbed onto the slippery stones above the flooded entrance, Yuna sneezed, coughed, and sneezed again… repeatedly.

Tidus walked up the steps and crouched before her with a grin as if he had just come from a stroll in the park. "They're right. You do sound like a squatter monkey."

Yuna cast him a baleful glance, but then laughed at her own inability to handle harsh swimming conditions. Sniffling and sneezing once more, she accepted his extended arms to stand. Smoothing her wet hair against her head and neck, she blinked the last of the stinging salt-water from her eyes and looked around. It was cold down in these ruins - really cold - and she found herself wishing she'd worn more than the bikini and short skirt from her thief sphere.

Baaj had been a horrible place when they first visited to summon Anima's aeon. It was just as horrible the second time around. Dark, except for the glow of magical runes and their watery reflections, this ruined temple of a forgotten age perfectly suited the deformed and tormented aeon that called it home.

The chamber of the Fayth was still unlocked and open from the last time they were here. Yuna walked to the woman's tomb to find it gone like all the other aeon tombs Shuyin tainted. As she gazed at the pyre flies rising from the void where it should have been, a forgotten fear crept over her, and she quickly checked over her shoulder.

Tidus stood at the back of the chamber near the doorway, keeping his distance. It was a painful reminder that he would never be completely human, but one he could live with as long as he stayed clear of exposed entrances to the Farplane. "I'll just... check out the main area." Excusing himself from the uncomfortable room, he left for a "safer" place, even if that place was possibly haunted with fiends.

Sighing with relief that he remembered to be cautious about his vulnerability to spirit magic, Yuna walked around the room with Rikku and Paine searching for any kind of clue for the sphere that Buddy's scanner detected here.

"Check it out." Paine had found a small chest among the toppled columns and pried it open to find a stunning necklace inside. Joining her, Rikku and Yuna were awed at its sparkling beauty. "Think maybe it belonged to Seymour's mother?"

"I'm almost certain," Yuna agreed. "He was exiled here with her, by the guado, for being half-human. If it belonged to Anima, I don't think we should be taking it. I mean, in spite of everything, I wouldn't want to dishonor his mother. Her aeon served me faithfully when I needed her."

Paine replaced the necklace in the chest and set it back where she found it.

))((

While the three girls roamed the Chamber of the Fayth, Tidus explored the antechamber. Crawling over the fallen columns and climbing the large stone blocks, he found a hidden passage leading up into the large, main hall. This was where he first met Rikku. Smirking at the memory, he crossed the faded, brown fresco on the circular floor.

Tracing his previous footsteps, he walked to a grotesque statue and touched its carved teeth, then he gazed up at the waterfall-like leak that streamed through a large crack in the ceiling. Water still puddled all over the floor, and chilly mist still hung in the air.

A shiver prompted him to pull the hood of his yellow Abes shirt over his head. Then, he found the back passage, which he remembered leading to a balcony where he found some flint and dried flowers to make a small fire last time. Hopping over the chunks of fallen debris that blocked the path, he made his way to the entrance of the one tower that rose tall above the water still. Its tiny window was open to the air outside, letting the sun or rain into an otherwise very enclosed place. It was there that he noticed an old chest tucked under one of the fallen support columns, and the largest memory sphere he had ever seen was inside.

Carefully, lifting it from the chest, he carried it with him back down to the Chamber of the Fayth. "I think I found it." Sitting cross-legged on the floor, he placed it in front of him and touched the activation button.

As the sphere hummed to life, planets and stars swirled around them in a breathtaking, larger-than-life display. Yuna and Rikku were just as awed by it now as they had been the first time they saw it. Paine, seeing it for the first time, turned around with equally child-like wonder, trying to see it all.

Scanning one side of the city to the other, Tidus felt something stir in the depth of his soul. It had been so long since he'd seen it. "Zanarkand."

))((

Seagulls glided lazily over the pink coral building occupied by the members of the Youth League east of Kilika Port, and the breeze carried the scent of grilled fish from the rebuilt village across the small bay as Yuna, Tidus, Rikku and Paine stepped onto the docks from the boat that brought them there. "Did you see the way people were staring at us?" Tidus spoke to Yuna, ascending the sloping semi-spiral walkway to the front door of the complex.

"I'm trying not to," she admitted, still mildly uncomfortable with fame.

"It's because of me, isn't it? They think I'm unsent now, don't they?" He felt guilty about drawing that kind of attention to her or anyone else.

"Maybe they're just staring at you because they think you have a cute hiney." Rikku giggled as she followed him up the stairs.

Tidus abruptly stopped and turned. "I'm having an existentialist crisis, and you're looking at my butt?"

"You're in front of me on the stairs. What else is there to look at?" She partially stuck her tongue out at him for not appreciating her joke.

"You want to go ahead of me?" he sardonically offered.

"No, because then you'll look up my skirt."

"Well, at least I won't _tell_ you I'm doing it."

The small thief gasped. "Have you been doing that all along?" she demanded in an accusatory tone.

Paine folded her arms and shifted her stance, waiting for him to unblock the stairs. "At least Rikku isn't using binoculars."

"You stay out of this," he told her over the thief's head and shoulders.

"I caught him using my binoculars to scope out backsides rather than the high cables under the temple when we went to talk to Bahamut," the warrior women explained.

Rikku met Tidus with an immediate, disapproving frown.

Yuna laughed and shook her head at their argument, but put a hand to the back of her own skirt as she finished climbing the stairs.

"Now look what you did," Tidus grumbled to Paine and Rikku before ascending the remaining stairs, sideways and self-conscious.

The Gullwings presented themselves to the guards and were led to the main office. Meyvn Nooj was seated at his desk, but he was staring out the window at the ocean rather than attending to any business. Noticing he had company, he motioned to the seating area within the room.

Yuna and her friends filed in, and after bowing in greeting, she lifted the large sphere in both hands to place on his desk. "We would like to present this to the library project. It's Maester Seymour's Zanarkand sphere - the best sphere we've seen to date of the city before it fell."

Nooj's haunted eyes shifted from the sphere to the blond young man at the back of the group. "Why give it to me? Isn't our _expert_ supposed to be taking Zanarkand things to Kimahri?"

"Yes, but we thought we'd show it to you before taking it to him." She touched the activation button on the side, and the entire room lit up with Zanarkand.

As soon as she turned it on, however, Nooj turned it back off. "I have half a mind to tell you to take all the spheres to Kimahri."

Yuna glanced at Paine, wondering what he meant by that, but Paine's expression was hard to read.

"How do you plan to do that? You know Baralai won't just hand over New Yevon's spheres," Paine stated the obvious.

"Well, we could always storm the temple again, but that would put us back a few paces in terms of negotiations with him," he returned in the same measured tone.

"Or hire thieves to do it for you?" Pain dared to suggest.

Nooj met her blunt inquiry without flinching. "He can't say I didn't warn him. This is what comes of storing all the spheres under one roof away from public access."

"Do you know anything about the thieves who did it?"

"Baralai thinks I'm behind it, doesn't he?"

"Youth League insignia was found on one of the thieves."

"Well, you can tell him I started my own investigation. I don't know about any insignia, but they used Machine Faction weapons, and two of them were legitimate guards hired by the temple. They must have let the others in."

"Machine Faction?" Rikku blinked with alarm. "Gippal wouldn't do anything like this."

"I've already contacted Gippal about it. He swears he has no connections, so he's trying to find out who could have supplied the tools. Whoever's behind this has been able to infiltrate all three of our organizations. Whoever it is must be a real puppeteer who knows how to pull the right strings at the right time." His glance shifted to Tidus.

Tidus took offense. "Well, don't look at me."

"Didn't happen until you showed up, and we all know what a master manipulator Shuyin was at making insiders do things for him."

"I am _not_ Shuyin." Tidus frowned but moved closer. "They beat the crap out of me last night while I was pulling guard duty with Baralai. If I'm the puppet master, why would I do that to myself?"

"To get Baralai away from the door so you could study a way to crack the code? To appear innocent, so you're not blamed, but I am?" Nooj returned.

"Then why didn't I just bust down the door and take the spheres while I was guarding them?"

"Too obvious if you don't want to get blamed, and apparently somebody wants _me_ blamed."

"You know... forget it." Fed up with having to put up with this kind of thing, Tidus turned to Yuna. "I'm waiting outside." He frowned deeply at Nooj and left without another word.

Paine sat on the corner of the desk and gave Nooj a look of reprimand. "Well, that was uncalled for."

"It was necessary."

"Why?" Yuna was becoming angry but remained calm as always.

"Because I don't care what you say, I sense Shuyin in him. In that sense, believe it or not, I know him better than you do."

"You don't have very much faith in forgiveness, do you?"

Nooj leaned on the desk, flexed his mechanical fingers, and interlaced them with his hand of flesh and bone. "Then you admit he's done things that need to be forgiven?"

Yuna sighed. Nooj saw withheld information as a type of mistrust in itself. "He was summoned from the light part of Shuyin's soul." There, she said it. "But he is not unsent. He comes from the dream of the Fayth - just as we told you before - but he is his own person. _Please_, don't judge him by Shuyin's choices."

Nooj settled back in his chair to digest the truth he had suspected all along, though it wasn't quite the way he expected it. "He told Baralai, Shuyin was his brother."

"In a sense, he is. That's how Shuyin told him to think of him."

"Shuyin in any form is not welcome in my neck of the woods." Nooj reached for his cane and stood again. Picking up the large Zanarkand sphere, he limped toward Yuna to give it back. "This isn't safe here. Take it to Kimahri if you want to protect it. The thieves will probably try to strike again."

"How do you know?" Yuna accepted the sphere, folding it to her chest.

Nooj's brow furrowed above his thin, wire glasses. "They failed to get what they wanted the first time. That alone is enough."

Leblanc entered the room and raised a brow at Nooj's company, but then she ignored the female trio and haughtily walked to his side. Nooj didn't seem to enjoy her presence, but he didn't seem to mind, either.

Yuna wondered if she should say anything about the other symbols. "Would you happen to know if there are any former Seekers still running around? Tidus said he saw a Seeker insignia on the same cloth that had the Youth League symbol."

Leblanc smoothed the fur overlay on Nooj's shoulder and sleeve. "The Seekers disbanded, love. They hunt spheres independently like the rest of us nowadays. That's yesterday's news. Have you been living under a rock?"

"No, but apparently you have," Paine retorted. "You know all kinds of juicy, scummy secrets about other sphere guilds, don't you?"

Leblanc snorted and opened her fan to cool herself.

"Do you know of any active Seekers?" Paine persisted.

"Well, if I did, I certainly wouldn't tell you." The blond drama queen planted her hand on her hip and looked away.

"You'd _better_ tell us." Rikku was becoming angry, too.

"Leblanc, if you know something, you need to tell us," Nooj prompted the woman at his side. "The Youth League is going to be blamed for this if we can't find who's responsible."

With a heavy sigh, Leblanc closed her fan. "Rumor has it that one of the former Seekers has started a new guild called the ... " She tapped her fan against her chin trying to remember. "Well, I've forgotten their name, and it was funny sounding, anyway. But supposedly they've stolen spheres from other sphere hunters. I'm not sure how much of it is true, but their reputation is off to a notorious start. Oh, wait... Echo Alliance. That's what they're called - the Echo Alliance." Leblanc was pleased with herself for remembering.

Yuna mentally lined up the three symbols and tried to envision them as a code - Youth League, Seekers, Abes. It did make the newer group of truth-seekers seem like an echo from the past, but... the Abes? What did blitzball have to do with anything? Maybe it was meant to represent Zanarkand, in general.

"Do you know anything else about them?" Nooj asked of Leblanc. When she shook her head, he tried a new angle. "Can you _try_ to find out more about them?"

"I can do anything for my Noojie-Woojie." With a sly smile, she hugged his arm.

Nooj took this into consideration since Baralai apparently kept that clue to himself. "If you'll excuse me. I think I'm going to pass this news along to Gippal and see if it helps him identify who used his weapons." Nooj looked at Leblanc, giving her a silent message to release him. Then, he met the gaze of his three guests and left the room.

"You know, if there's nothing else you girls wanted, you can leave now." Leblanc began fanning herself again. "Anything else I have to say is for Noojie. He can choose whether to pass it on to you or not."

"Well, actually, we did come to see you, too," Yuna spoke. "I'm looking for Zanarkand spheres - particularly spheres that have music in them. It's for the concert at the opening of the library in Zanarkand. I thought it would be a good way to honor the people who died there to include some of their songs. Would you happen to know of any?"

"Zanarkand spheres are rare enough, love. Zanarkand _music_ spheres? Hah! Even if they exist, who would want to listen to them? They'd be so out of date no one would even know how to dance to them." Leblanc examined a nail that looked likely to break.

Yuna persisted. "The song I sang at my last concert was from Zanarkand … sort of. Everyone liked that one."

Leblanc snorted. "That's because of that whole sky-theatrical-display thing. Singing songs from a bunch of dead people is rather morbid, isn't is? And speaking of Zanarkand ghosts, how's your little boyfriend these days? Seen anymore of Shuyin?"

"_Tidus _is doing just fine," Yuna answered with a perfunctory smile. "He's starting a new blitzball career with a win for the Aurochs, and he's helping me hunt spheres for the Zanarkand project."

Leblanc tapped her fan thoughtfully against her chin. "Hm. Not what I heard. I heard people are upset that he's unsent."

Yuna's brows dipped in anger. "Who told you he was unsent?"

Leblanc laughed. "Nobody had to tell me, love. I saw it with my own two eyes. That boy _is_ Shuyin. And when Noojie said that he was from Zanarkand, well, that just confirmed it, didn't it?"

Yuna's eyes narrowed. "Nooj told you Tidus was from Zanarkand?"


	17. Chapter 17: Unsent

Chapter 17: Unsent

Leblanc was annoyed with the Gullwings, but that was nothing new. "Nooj said your little boyfriend told everyone at the council he was from Zanarkand. If he didn't want the heat, then he shouldn't have spoken the fire spell," she told Yuna.

Yuna clenched her fists at her sides but tried to stay calm. "We had to tell everyone at the meeting where Tidus came from because Nooj and Baralai kept insisting that he was Shuyin. That didn't give Nooj the right to tell _you_. Did he tell anyone else?"

"Of course not." Leblanc waved it off. "Do you think he has time to waste on tabloid headlines or interviews for mystery exposés?"

Yuna's mouth dropped open. "_You're_ the one that started those rumors!"

"_Me_? Why would I spread rumors about your boyfriend?"

Rikku pointed at her. "Because of what Shuyin did to your Noojie."

Hands-on-hips, Yuna confronted Leblanc. "You knew Sunsa was doing that interview for a mystery exposé. She used those exact words when talking about it."

"Don't be preposterous. Everyone saw that interview after the game in Luca." She unfurled her fan and began fanning her face. Leblanc intended to walk away, but Yuna caught her wrist.

"She didn't say them on camera. She said them to me... _after_ she stopped interviewing Tidus."

"Did Nooj put you up to it?" Paine asked, quirking a brow.

"Of course not! He didn't even know I was in Bevelle that day!" Leblanc's eyes widened, and her hands instantly covered her mouth.

All three Gullwings narrowed eyes on her.

"That was a dirty thing to do," Yuna scolded. "People are afraid of him now, though they have no reason to be."

"From what I saw, they do. He takes over people's bodies!" Leblanc snapped back.

"That was Shuyin - not Tidus!" Yuna became uncharacteristically loud.

"Now, now!" Leblanc smiled in embarrassment, trying to calm the ex-summoner. "I didn't _intentionally_ rat on him, okay? I just happened to be in Bevelle that day, so I called Noojie to see if he wanted to do lunch. But he declined without even hearing me out because he was so angry about you inviting Shuyin - or Tidus or whoever he is - to the meeting. He said you left the meeting without warning, yet I saw both of you strolling through the park. So, I called up some friends for lunch instead, and one of them suggested that Noojie hire a reporter to investigate. I knew he wouldn't ask for help, so I did it for him. You know how it is when you're upset that your man is upset, but you can't be upset about it to him, or he'll get upset."

Rikku wrinkled her nose, missing half of that. "Eh? Wait, you told your friends, _too_?"

"Sunsa was supposed to investigate off the record, not on camera. That was _her_ idea, not mine. Look, just don't pin this on Nooj, okay?" Leblanc begged. "It's bad enough he's going to be blamed for the temple theft."

Still holding Leblanc's wrist, Yuna led her to the door. "You're going to take it back. You're going to apologize to Tidus."

Leblanc slapped at Yuna's hand with her fan. "I'm not getting anywhere near him. I saw what happened to him in the Farplane at Guadosalam. Regardless of what name he goes by, he changed into Shuyin!"

Yuna gave her arm a firm jerk at the same time that Paine and Rikku gave her shoulders a firm shove. Between the three of them, they successfully moved Leblanc through the lobby, threw open the front doors, and dragged her outside. Then, they escorted her down the stairs to the dock, where Tidus sat on the edge of the pier waiting for them.

He had taken off his shoes to cool his feet in the water while cooling his temper after the flare-up with Nooj, but now he couldn't begin to guess what was brewing as the four women stood over him with volatile expressions.

"Say something." Yuna gave Leblanc's arm a small pinch.

"Ouch! Stop that!" She swatted Yuna with her fan. Then, with an obligatory sigh, she lifted her chin with pride and addressed him. "I'm sorry I told my friends you were unsent, and I'm sorry I called Sunsa to investigate you. It won't happen again." She turned to leave but found herself blocked by Paine's rock-solid presence.

Tidus stood to face Leblanc. "_You're_ the one who told Sunsa I was unsent? Why? What did I ever do to you?"

"Shuyin possessed Nooj!" Leblanc snapped. "And if you're him then ... then ..." She growled and smacked him with her fan.

Tidus's quick reflexes caught the hand holding the fan and pulled her toward him. He was silent, but his darkening glare could have sliced right through her.

Fearing he was going to become possessed at any moment, Leblanc changed her tune. "Look, I… didn't mean it to turn into all this. I didn't know she was going to take it public."

Still scowling, Yuna folded her arms. "I think we should make you go on the com sphere in Luca and tell everyone what you did. And while you're at it, you can tell everyone why Tidus is not unsent."

"I say we make her our personal slave until it dies down," Paine suggested.

Ready to seek retribution with some kind of glorious plan, Rikku eagerly rubbed her hands together. "Tidus, what do you think we should do to her?"

Tidus's angry glare continued a moment longer, but then released Leblanc and turned his back on her. "Let her go," he groused, gazing toward the village with its peaceful palm huts and bamboo bridges.

"Eh?" Rikku blinked, wondering if she'd heard him right. "You sent me to scoop chocobo poop for making you chase a monkey, but you're letting her go free after spreading nasty rumors that nearly ruined your reputation?"

"There's nothing she can do to take it back. I just want to go home." Picking up his shoes, he climbed into the boat and stubbornly waited for his companions to join him.

After giving Leblanc various dirty looks, Rikku, Paine, and Yuna reluctantly filed into the boat. Leblanc remained on the dock, stunned at his verdict. Then, the ferryman rowed them back to the village shore.

))((

The Gullwings crew that came with Tidus to the second Aurochs game of the season headed down the crowded walkways of Luca into the central stadium area. The scent of festival foods filled the air. Excited laughter and shouts echoed all around the sunburst layout of the docks. And a game merchandise salesman set up his cart outside of the ticket sales store, while autograph seekers grouped around the locker room basements, hoping to catch passing players.

As they rounded the corner near the stairs, Tidus had to part ways with his friends. "I gotta hurry, or Wakka's going to hit the roof again."

Yuna caught his hand. "Wait! We have to buy our tickets first, so you'll know where we're sitting."

"Just whistle like you did last time. I'll find you." He grinned with confidence.

"Good luck!" After kissing his cheek, she hurried to get in line behind Buddy and Paine.

Tidus waved and continued on his way to the locker room. "'Excuse me! Hey, coming through!" He called to people blocking the entrance.

Blitzball fans parted for him to pass, but then saw the Aurochs uniform.

"Hey, he's one of the players! Can I have an autograph?"

"Me, too!"

"Pleeease."

"Hey, I was here first."

"Wakka's going to kill me if I stop," Tidus muttered to himself as he tried to keep moving. "Shouldn't stop. Don't stop. ... Nope, not stopping."

"Isn't he the new Aurochs captain?"

"He's the one that did that shot from really high above the sphere pool last time, remember?"

"Are you going to do that shot again?"

"I'm rooting for the Aurochs this time!"

"I'm sorry, but I'm running late again." He apologized to the crowd. "I'll try to hang around after the game, okay? I can sign things then." Turning around to continue on his way, he nearly stumbled over a little girl with blond curls, who squinted her eyes tight at the hustle around her and held up a blitzball that was almost bigger than she was. Tidus sighed in defeat, then chuckled at her determination. "Got a pen?" He crouched to accept the ball.

"I do! I do!" someone shouted. A dozen pens were thrust at him all at once.

He accepted one of them with a nod of thanks and scrawled his completely illegible signature across the nubbly surface of the blitzball. "What's your name, gorgeous?"

"Rukiina," the small girl informed him with a big grin. "RU-KI-I-NA. That's two _I'_s'." She pressed a matchstick-thin finger into the ball to make sure he spelled it right.

Tidus used big, clear letters to write her name above his. "Okay, Rukiina-with-two-_I'_s! There you go." He started to hand the ball back, then changed his mind and held it out of her reach. "Who are you going to cheer for?"

"The Aurochs."

"What? I can't hear you!"

"The Aurochs!" she yelled back.

He held the ball toward her once more, but then withdrew it again. "Let me see how you're going to do it."

The little girl wiggled, screamed, and jumped around in a circle.

"All right! That's it! Woohoo!" Passing the ball to her, he imitated her little dance, making her giggle. "Okay, get out of here. I got a game to play." But as he tried to walk away, more paper scraps and blitzballs were thrust toward him.

A girl that looked only a few years younger than him stepped forward and bared her shoulder. "I don't have a ball or paper, but could I have an autograph anyway?"

Tidus blinked at her with doubt, but then shook his head and grinned. "You gotta show me how you're gonna cheer first."

She laughed in embarrassment then gave a little cheer. "Yay!"

He folded his arms at his chest and made a face. "Oh, come on. That's not even going to encourage me to get in the water."

The gathering around him laughed, and the girl tried again, louder. "Woohoo!"

"Woohoo! That's more like it!" He imitated her cheer a little, too, then scrawled his name on her shoulder. "Bring paper next time, all right? You're going to get me in trouble with my girlfriend doing this kind of thing."

Chuckles went up from the crowd, along with a few "awws." Hearing Yuna's name whispered around after that, he chuckled lightly to himself. But then another whispered word also caught his ear.

"Unsent."

"Unsent? Are you sure?"

"That's what I heard."

"He's the one? He doesn't look unsent."

"It was him, wasn't it?"

Tidus tried to ignore the whispers and reached for the next piece of paper offered, but he signed this one without any campy showmanship and automatically reached for another. The more he tried not to hear the whispers, the more aware of them he became.

"Didn't you hear that interview he did last week?"

"Sunsa said he was from Zanarkand."

"Lady Yuna didn't deny it. She said he'd just come home."

"It's been two years since he last played with the Aurochs."

"I heard he died defeating Sin."

"How did he come back?"

"Do you think he'll turn into a fiend?"

"A-ha! I knew I'd find you here!" a familiar voice broke through the cacophony assaulting his mind. Wakka squeezed through the Auroch fans to get to him.

Quickly finishing his last signature, Tidus capped the pen and handed both items back to their owner.

"Sorry, folks, but he's got to go, or he won't make the game on time!" Wakka hooked Tidus's arm to escort him the rest of the way through the crowd. "This is going to be a bad habit for you, ya?"

Someone grabbed Tidus's other arm. "He feels real to me."

Another hand grabbed his uniform. "But fiends are real, too, you know."

"The unsent can turn into fiends. I've seen it."

"Well, Zanarkand _is_ the City of the Dead."

"Hey!" Wakka became irritated. "He's from Besaid."

"Why is he here if he's unsent?"

"Another unsent trying to take over Spira?"

Tidus couldn't stand it anymore and pulled away from Wakka's grasp to face his accusers. "I'm not unsent!"

"Well, there's only one way to find out, isn't there?"

Startled by the closeness of the last voice that spoke, Tidus turned and faced a tall man with sand-colored hair swept into a severe top-knot. He was dressed in the colorful and multi-layered robes of a summoner. And he smiled, but the smile did not extend to his intense, green eyes.

"Ladies and gentlemen of Luca," the summoner addressed the crowd. "There is only one true way to know whether this is a man or a monster. And that is to send him. Lady Yuna should have already done the honors herself, of course, but apparently her sense of duty has become obscured."

Wakka took note of the change in mood around them. These were no longer kids seeking autographs, but adults protecting their children and city from potential harm. "I got a bad feeling about this, ya?" he told Tidus, under his breath. "Go to the locker room and tell the boys we're not playing today. We gotta get you out of here."

Tidus couldn't believe Wakka was even considering it. "We can't just forfeit -"

"We got a situation here. Just go to the locker room and stay put. I'll get the rest of the gang and meet you there." Wakka pushed his way through the crowd and ran up the steps of the stadium.

Tidus stared at the summoner that called for his sending, but then shoved his way through the crowd and ran down the stairs to the locker room. When he was inside, he shut the door behind him and sighed with relief. The rest of the Aurochs in the room were pumped for the game. Therefore, they were surprised to see him looking anxious.

"What's up, Cap'n?" Jassu asked. "You look like you've seen a ghost." His team members all laughed.

Not impressed by a joke that referred to unsent spirits, Tidus brushed past him to his locker.

Botta chuckled. "We're just pulling your chain, man. Don't be so uptight about it. We're cool about the Zanarkand thing now, okay?"

"Yeah, well, the rest of those people out there aren't. We might have trouble brewing. Wakka says it's not a good idea to play."

The Aurochs started to protest, and Tidus started to argue back when people started shouting from outside and banging on the door. Tidus moved to lock it, but he was too late. The door burst open, and concerned citizens flowed into the locker room to grab him. Tidus twisted and flipped one of his attackers over his back as Paine had taught him, trying not to hurt him. When a second man tried to get a hold on him, Jassu pulled him off.

Within minutes, the locker room was in chaos. Tidus threw off as many people as he could, and the rest of the Aurochs formed a defensive ring around him. But the room continued to fill with people demanding that he be tested to prove whether he was unsent. At the back of the room, the summoner with the sand-colored hair summoned his magical, bladed staff, and began to dance. The crowd began to sing the "Hymn of the Fayth" and broke through the defensive ring. The Aurochs fought to free their captain as he was grabbed and pinned down, but they were blocked by other members of the rowdy crowd.

))((

"Out of the way, damn it! I said, get out of my way!" Wakka started picking up people and tossing them aside to make room for the Gullwings to break through the madness.

Paine had a similarly effective manner of removing people from their path.

"Tidus!" Yuna could hear the hymn, and she could see the summoner weaving his magic for a sending, but she could not see Tidus. "Stop! _Stop_! Please, don't send him!" She had to reach him before it was too late, but when she finally pushed through the crowd, pyre flies were already drifting around him, joining the summoner's dance. His body, shimmering with a watery prism of color, was beginning to fade. "Tidus!" She tried to run but was held back by those concerned for her welfare.

"It's not safe, Lady Yuna!"

"He's a fiend!"

"Just let him be sent!"

"It's better this way."

Tidus could see her from where he was being held down on the floor. "Yuna! I'll come back and find you again! I promise!"

The men holding him didn't release their grip until they lost it due to his increasing transparency.

Yuna snapped free. If she could just hold onto him, he couldn't be sent away! But her arms and hands passed through him, as they had that fateful time before. "No!" She shook her head in heartbroken disbelief. This couldn't be happening again. "_NO_!" Yuna fell to her knees. Tears slid down her cheeks and turned into sobs as she was left in the middle of an empty swirl of pyre flies.

The other summoner stepped forward. "Lady Yuna, forgive me, but it is for the best. Spira is for the living, not the dead."

Inconsolable, Yuna sniffled and wiped at the tears that kept coming. Standing and struggling with her grief, she turned around to face him. Eyes narrowing with unspeakable fury, she slapped him with as much sting as she could muster. Then, without a single word to anyone, she ran out of the locker room, all the way back to the docks and the Celsius… alone.


	18. Chapter 18: Pieces

Chapter 18: Pieces

Rikku took a tray of food up to Yuna and found her collapsed on her bed, just as she had been an hour ago. Setting the tray on the chest by the bed, she sat by her cousin with her arms around her for a long moment, holding her in a sad hug.

When Yuna still did not respond, Rikku sighed and returned downstairs, where Paine and Lulu waited. The small thief could only shake her head in disappointment. Then, she started to cry again.

Lulu rose from her stool at the bar and wrapped her arms around Rikku in a motherly manner.

"How's Yuna doing?" Cid came into the cabin.

"She's not speaking or eating yet," Paine reported, judging by Rikku's reaction.

"Poor kiddo. That's twice she's been through this kind of thing with him. I wish her mother were here to help. I'm not very good with girl-talks."

Rikku sniffled and thought of her aunt. If Yuna's mother hadn't been killed by Sin all those years ago, she definitely would have tried to comfort her now.

The cabin doors opened with a hiss, and Wakka came in with Vidina sleeping on his shoulder. He was followed by Sunsa, the reporter from Luca. "Yuna up to talking, yet?" he quietly asked.

The three women shook their heads.

Wakka sighed with disappointment. "Well, Sunsa came to the village looking for her, so I brought her here. She says she's got something for Yuna."

Lulu gave the reporter a cold glare. "Come to capture her grief for your next broadcast?"

"Lu." Wakka frowned. "Be nice, ya?"

"No, it's okay." Sunsa stepped around the Auroch's coach to confront the three women who glared at her. "You have every right to be angry at me. I know this is partially my fault for asking him about Zanarkand in the first place. I thought it would be such an amazing story to find out that someone from Zanarkand was living among us. Even when we sometimes see the dead, we don't get to talk to them, much less interact with them the way he did. He seemed like a great guy. I had no idea it would turn out this way. I'm so ... _so_ sorry. I aired Lady Yuna's interview the next morning, but I guess it wasn't enough to clear his name." She looked down at the memory sphere she held in her hands and set it on the bar. "I came to give her this. One of our station's recorders was in the crowd and managed to catch most of what happened after the crowd decided to take matters into their own hands. She may not want it, but ... she can keep it if she does. Also, please tell her I am making a broadcast denouncing how this sending was done. I've already begun an investigation on the man who instigated the mob. His name is Meimo. He's a bit of an enigma, but from what I've gathered so far, he's got a reputation as a rather notorious sphere hunter."

Paine and Rikku looked up with interest. Rikku wiped her eyes.

"This sphere would be good evidence to press criminal charges for attempted murder, but… I guess there's no law against sending spirits. I think most of the people who witnessed it were surprised that it actually worked. Tidus looked so real. And he didn't… I mean, he wasn't... Anyway, just please tell her I'm sorry." Sunsa bowed long and low before taking her leave of the cabin.

After she left, all eyes settled on the sphere on the bar. Rikku started to cry again. "I don't think I can bear to watch it."

Wakka sniffled and turned the sphere around. His thumb found the activation button, and the entire scene with the mob surrounding Tidus in the locker room played itself out before them one more time. "I shouldn't have left him."

Lulu took the sleeping baby from his shoulder and held him to her chest as if trying to draw some silent comfort from holding him. "His entire team was down there defending him. You couldn't have made any difference if you had stayed."

"Meimo..." Paine rolled the name around in her mind. "If he's a notorious sphere hunter, I wonder if he has any connections to that new guild that Leblanc mentioned."

"Hunt him down," Lulu suggested, black brows furrowed over crimson eyes. "You might not be able to have him jailed for a sending, but if you find him, Yuna can slap the other side of his face, too." Like a graceful storm, the black mage turned and headed for the loft to check on her.

Paine picked up the sphere and looked to Rikku. "You up for a mission?"

"Mh." Rikku sniffled with angry determination and wiped her eyes.

))((

As Pain replayed the scene in the memory sphere for Nooj and Leblanc, Rikku paced. She couldn't bear to watch it again. It was like watching someone murder him. But she did occasionally glance toward Nooj and Leblanc to read their faces for any hints of recognition. Nooj said nothing and showed no emotion, but Leblanc began to sink with a hint of guilt. When it finished, Paine found the face of the summoner, paused it, and set it directly in front of Leblanc, demanding answers.

Leblanc sighed and surrendered the information without the usual fight. "Meimo... He's a specialist in teleportation magic who has a knack for getting in and out of places without a trace. He's been accused of stealing several spheres because of it, and he's been associated with a few underground operations."

"By underground, do you mean criminal or literal?" Paine sat on the corner of the desk and crossed her legs.

"Well, I imagine it's a little of both. Nobody trusts him. I'm surprised you haven't heard of him, loves, but I suppose it's because you're too goody-goody to keep track of other people's spheres."

"If by that you mean we're not thieves, you're correct," Paine answered with a terse frown.

"You broke into my house," Leblanc reminded her.

"To take back what you stole from us." In a huff, Rikku turned her back on Leblanc, folded her arms, and glared at the corner of Nooj's desk. A strange little device caught her attention - crystals spinning over the surface of a mirror. Leaning over it with quiet awe, she tried to figure out how the crystals were dancing on their "toes" like that. It was better than thinking of what had happened to Tidus.

"Know where we can find him?" Paine tried to stay on-topic to prevent this from melting into a tit-for-tat argument.

Leblanc shrugged. "When I met him, it was during all that tourist attraction stuff in Zanarkand. He was trying to recruit sphere hunters among the amateurs wandering around."

"Any chance he could be associated with that Echo Alliance you mentioned?"

"I don't know any members of the Echo Alliance, but I suppose he could be one of them. His notoriety certainly fits the bill."

Paine faced Nooj. "If the Echo Alliance is the group behind the raid at the temple, it could be a motive for getting rid of Tidus, since he thwarted their attempts to steal the spheres. Easier to dispose of someone suspected of being a fiend than the praetor of New Yevon."

Rikku paused over the crystal trinket, stunned at what Paine was suggesting. "You mean, Tidus might have been sent because he witnessed the temple break-in?"

Nooj took his spinning crystals away from her before she could break them. "Have you shown this to Baralai yet?" He indicated the sphere of the sending. "Since Meimo is a summoner, Baralai might know something about him, as well. And if what you say is true about the motive, Baralai could be the next target, regardless of his official position."

Paine considered the possibility. "An assassination attempt on the temple's praetor would definitely open a position in New Yevon for ex-communicated members to seep back in." The warrior turned to the thief. "I think our next stop is Bevelle. Baralai needs to see this."

Rikku nodded in eager and worried agreement. "Hopefully we're not too late."

"I'm going with you." Nooj stood and reached for his cane.

))((

Baralai watched the sphere play in its entirety. When it was done, he looked as if he was carrying the burden of the whole incident on himself. "Lady Yuna has my sincerest condolences. I may have had the same reservations about Tidus as the people in this crowd, but I would never condone this kind of..._ madness_. Whatever he was, he had integrity. He did his best to protect that vault, the night we stood watch together. Every time he got knocked down, he got back up and kept going." Resting his elbows on the desk, Baralai folded his hands together. His index fingers extended and tapped lightly against his lips as he debated what to do.

"Do you know this summoner?" Nooj asked him, point-blank.

"Yes," Baralai answered in quiet honesty. "Meimo was one of Trema's original Seekers as well as one of his staff advisers when New Yevon was first founded. When we told Trema to step down as leader, Meimo was told to step down as well. Though we have little evidence to support it, I think he's a very crucial link to the temple raid, whether this Echo Alliance is part of it, or not. He has knowledge of the sphere vault locations. He knows how we organize our records and duty rosters. And he can move without being seen."

"And he has a motive for revenge," Nooj added. "We think it's why he did the sending. And we think he might come after you next."

"In retrospect, perhaps we should have done something to be certain Meimo's knowledge on the spheres remained sealed, rather than just dismissing him. But I know how it feels to be targeted for execution just because I survived something I wasn't supposed to talk about. I don't wish to follow that path."

Nooj grew quiet at his reference to the Crimson Squad incident.

Paine also seemed to be remembering the way the guns took aim at the backs of her three friends. They would have died that day, if not for her timely warning to run. "Where can we find Meimo?"

Baralai sighed heavily. "I don't know where he would be nowadays. I haven't been keeping tabs on him, though, obviously, he's been keeping tabs on us."

"Do you think he's the one who took the tools from the Machine Faction?" Rikku asked.

"Almost positive. Though we still don't know what that third symbol means, the insignia left behind associates the Youth League with the Seekers. If New Yevon and the Machine Faction get infiltrated, and it's blamed on the Youth League, attention won't be drawn to his new organization. The problem is that if he is out there forming a new faction, he could leak restricted information about the spheres to the rest of Spira." Baralai was now very worried.

Nooj frowned with suspicion. "What kind of restricted information?"

Baralai's gaze shifted to Paine and Rikku. They knew now what kind of ancient secrets the temple had been sitting on for a thousand years. But dare he tell Nooj, too? "I think I know what Meimo's trying to achieve in the end, and it's not my title as praetor." He hesitated, but then made up his mind what to do about it. "I need to call another meeting of the Zanarkand Project council. Please make sure that Lady Yuna attends."

Rikku shook her head. "I don't think she'll come. She hasn't spoken to anyone since it happened. She doesn't eat. She doesn't do anything. She just cries. And it's even worse than before because we really thought he was here to stay this time."

"You _must_ bring her," Baralai insisted with soft-spoken urgency. "I have a sphere that all of Spira's leaders need to see."

))((

Later that day, when Rikku climbed to the loft with Paine to speak with Yuna, they found her on Tidus's futon with her back to them, sitting on her heels, his blanket draped loosely over her shoulders.

Pain gave Rikku a sad sigh. "Well, at least she moved."

Rikku exhaled and looked at the sphere in her hand. Slowly, she approached Yuna but stopped behind her. "Sunsa brought you a sphere recording of what happened in the locker room... if you want it. Paine and I took it to Nooj and Baralai to help gather information on the guy who did the sending because we were going to try to find him. But Baralai's going to call a meeting with the other leaders because he thinks this guy also did the temple raid. He wants you to come."

Yuna dropped from sitting on her heels to sitting with her bare feet out to either side of her hips. She said nothing, but her chin lifted a little.

"Yunie?" Not knowing what else to say, Rikku placed the sphere on the futon next to Yuna. Then, she turned back toward Paine, and both women walked away to let Yuna watch it privately.

))((

_A sphere of what happened? _A sphere of Tidus being sent…

Yuna looked down at the shell ring on her finger, then stretched a hand toward the sphere and drew it closer. Though she could barely see through her puffy, blurry eyes, she touched the activation button and watched the replay of what happened before and after she arrived on the scene.

_ "Yuna... I'll be back! I'll find you again! I promise!"_

She felt as if her heart had broken into pieces the size of pyreflies. Clutching the sphere to her breast, she lay down on Tidus's pillow and allowed her tears to flow freely again.

))((

When Tidus woke, he found himself on a cold, stone floor - not in the swirling mist of the Farplane as he expected. Eyes half-closed, he looked at his hands and tried to recall his last sensation. Yuna was trying to hold onto him to keep him from being sent, but the magic was too strong. Yet, it wasn't until he was nearly gone that he realized the sending felt different this time. He could never forget how it felt the first time his body shattered into sparks of light and magic, but this sending left him whole.

His eyes returned to the cold, stone floor. Curious, but puzzled, Tidus pushed himself up and took a better look at his surroundings. He was in a room that had been crushed and left to ruin over time. It looked vaguely familiar but in a creepy way. Pyreflies floated here and there but did not cluster to form fiends. Standing, he checked his body to see if he was, indeed, completely solid. Then, he walked to the door and put a hand to it. Locked...

Turning around, he walked the length of the room, trying to remember where he had seen this place before. There were benches scattered and overturned around the perimeter. Small lockers lined the walls, though the upper row was mostly crushed from the weight of the ceiling collapsing on that side of the room. To his left, he saw another door. Somehow, he knew it would be there, and where it would lead. Moving toward it, he pushed it open. It fell from rusted hinges. Beyond the door was a long, curved, concrete corridor filled with calf-deep water and stairs rising to yet another door that would open to the sphere pool's center support ring in the Zanarkand arena.

"I wouldn't try to escape that way if I were you," a voice behind him spoke. "The entire stadium beyond this section is collapsed and lies entirely under the ocean now. It's a death trap waiting to happen - _again_. Besides the door is so corroded you'll never get it open without blasting it somehow."

Tidus blinked at the shadowed figure that was speaking to him. "It was a teleport spell, not a sending," he guessed.

"A teleport spell woven with illusion to make it look like a sending." The man speaking to him came into the dim light. "A very clever combination, don't you agree?" The speaker had long, black hair, which he wore loosely tied in a braided ribbon between his shoulders. His eyes, what could be seen of them from beneath his fallen bangs, were the color of storm clouds, and he carried himself with astute dignity. "We needed some way to get you out of there in a manner that wouldn't raise any questions. To the rest of Spira, you are now sent - proof that you should not have existed in their world in the first place... _Shuyin_."

Having heard that name one too many times now, Tidus choked back a low growl that emerged from his throat but lunged forward, grabbing the stranger's collar and slamming his back against the wall with the crushed lockers. "I am _not_ Shuyin! Who are you and why did you bring me here?"

The man winced at the force used against him, but then chuckled at Tidus's anger as several other men with guns showed up in the shadows. "I shall tell you nothing if you're going to let your temper get the better of you."

Tidus gave him one more thrust into the lockers before releasing him but still clenched his fists in impotent frustration as he backed away.

"Much better. My name is Kyudou, and you are here because you owe me a debt." The man straightened his shirt but stayed clear of his newly caged 'quadrihorn,' in case he decided to strike again. "You killed some of my men in the Kilika temple's basement."

Tidus's eyes widened as he tried to recall what the Gullwings had learned so far concerning who might have been responsible for that. "Head of... the Seekers?"

"No, no, no. The Seekers are a defunct organization. We call ourselves the Echo Alliance. We are different from the Seekers because they sought to collect as many spheres as they could to uncover the truth about Spira's past. We seek only one."

"One..."

"It's been lost, you see - hidden, more than lost, actually. And you're going to help us find it."

Tidus's surprise and curiosity dipped back into a deep scowl. "Not if I can help it."

"You really don't have a choice. If you refuse to cooperate, we can simply send you back to the Farplane - for _real_ this time. It would be a shame to lose you because you could be such an asset to the project, but we will continue without you if we must. You are here only because you are the perfect candidate to make our job easier. You see, I was planning a series of raids on the temples when I saw that little interview you did in Luca. A blitzball player from Zanarkand. Why, I felt a sort of… kindredness of spirit, you could say. After all, this sunken blitzball stadium has been my home for some time now." Kyudou gave a sardonic smile and held out his arms as if displaying the wonders of a palace, rather than a collapsed locker room.

"Is that why you adopted the Abes symbol for your Echo Alliance? Because you've turned the stadium it into a thieve's hideout?"

"Well, in sifting through the symbols that happen to be on display here, the Abes was the most artistic, don't you think? I thought it would add a nice touch of mystery to our calling card."

Tidus sighed with waning patience.

"More than that, I suppose it just represents Spira's lost past. We can only follow the echoes that have survived through time. But in our effort to find our way back to the truth, there is one ultimate echo we have yet to find." Kyudou gave him a wane smile. "When news came about that you were from Zanarkand, at first I supposed an ordinary person could make a home under these wretched ruins. After all, that's what I've done. But the fact that you might actually be unsent was more intriguing. So, I did my homework on you." Kyudou paced lightly as if discussing some fascinating discovery to a colleague. "I guess I'm fortunate that you were the son of a famous blitzball player and gaining quite a name for yourself, as well, or it might have been difficult to find information on you among the ruins. Thanks to your semi-celebrity status, _your_ echo was quite easy to trace." He reached into his pocket, pulled out a sphere, and gave it a light toss.

Tidus caught it. He was curious but made no move to activate it.

"I thought, 'What if this unsent young man can communicate with other unsent who are reluctant or unable to speak with the living?' Then, after I saw what you did to my best thieves, I decided, 'Why waste the lives of my guild members on sphere raids when I could just use you instead?'"

"You want me to help you find a sphere by talking to someone who died?"

"Something like that."

"Forget it."

"You forget that you have no choice. You see, your life - or whatever you want to call your happenstance existence - will cease to continue if you don't cooperate. If you are alive now, I can kill you. Either way, I can send you. If I send you, I can make sure you never return to the real world again. No more blitzball, no more sphere hunting, no more Yuna."

Tidus turned away from his captor to face the lockers. The very thought of losing this imitation life that he claimed constricted him to the point where he almost couldn't breathe. If he had included his Aurochs uniform in his result plate, he could switch spheres and retrieve a weapon to defend himself with - to try to escape. But he always left his armor grid on the airship while playing blitzball. It was safer there. After a long moment, he regained his composure and looked over his shoulder with worry. "What do I have to do to get out of here?"

"Talk to Spira."

"Spira. You mean the ship?"

"The spirit that lives within the ship. She exists in an unnatural state, much like yourself, resurrected from the Farplane to live as an unsent in the Via Infinito. She will not talk to anyone else that has tried, but she might talk to you. Speak to her and see if she will tell you where the sphere is located."

"Why is this sphere so important?"

"That you do not need to know. Just find out where it is, and we'll take care of the rest. We'll come get you when we're ready to send you to her. I suggest you rest while you can. The Via Infinito is not a nice place, and you will need to have all of your wits about you." Kyudou turned and signaled his guards to follow him back out of the room.

Tidus heard the door click back into its locked position behind them. Fine mess this was. He hadn't died because he wasn't sent. But even if his friends hoped he was still alive, they had no way of knowing he was trapped here in this twisted reality of his illusionary memories. It was creepy. This stadium used to be full of people and excitement, but then the whole sky came crashing down on them in a tidal wave of magic when Sin… And Auron and his stupid way of trying to make him… Tidus shook his head, trying to make himself forget. He told himself none of it was real. And yet …

Lifting his gaze to the lockers that lined the wall, he felt himself drawn to one in particular. Hesitant, he placed a hand against the locker door, then brushed away the thick layer of dust and mold to reveal an Abes symbol painted underneath. He saw the name tag at the top, but couldn't bring himself to clean it. He wanted to open the locker, but feared what he would find inside. Withdrawing his hand, he walked to the tunnel's stairs and sat down on the bottom step.

With a sigh, he turned the sphere over in his hands a few times. Should he watch it? Setting it down, he rested his elbows on his knees and ran his fingers through his hair. Memories of being here when it was alive in the dream felt so thick now that they crowded his ability to think.


	19. Chapter 19: Underground Operations

Chapter 19: Underground Operations

After a long wait alone in the cold, semi-darkness of Zanarkand's sunken stadium, Tidus gave in to the urge to look in the locker that used to belong to him, namely because he needed a warmer shirt. In the locker, he found what he was hoping for - some dry street clothing he kept to change into after the game. Stripping out of the Aurochs' waist vest, chaps, and sandals, he kept the dark blue pants of the uniform and pulled on a bright yellow Abes hoodie with light-blue, long sleeves. With a shudder, he rubbed his sleeves, thankful it was enough to shake the chill. Then, digging further into the locker for some socks and sneakers, he marveled at how well-preserved the synthetic fabrics and materials were, even if a little musty. He was glad he'd decided to check his locker until he spotted the picture of taped to the inside of the door - Lenne.

Shutting the door with a bang, he stepped back. This wasn't his locker. It was Shuyin's. Drawing a breath to calm his unease, Tidus sat down on the floor to put on the socks and shoes. But were they his shoes? He had some like them in the dream, but these couldn't have been part of that. On the other hand, if he had come from Shuyin, then he supposed they were his shoes. They fit well enough. Tidus looked down at his hoodie and clutched the Abes symbol in one fist, debating whether to take it off or not.

The door to the locker room opened, interrupting his small panic, and Kyudou and his bodyguards entered. "Oh, good. I see you've found your things. It is rather chilly at this depth and without any sunlight. Thank goodness for pyreflies and torches to give us light, hm? Are you ready?"

Tidus tied his laces and stood.

"First, the ground rules. At this stage it's more cost-effective to keep you alive than to let you go to waste. So, when you are ready for us to bring you back, use this. We can use it to communicate in case you find yourself in over your head with fiends." He gave Tidus a small com sphere that hooked onto the neck of his shirt. "The Via Infinito contains some of the most powerful fiends you'll ever see. Don't go in there half-cocked. This isn't a game. If you lose, you won't get another shot at the title. Oh, and don't try to escape. There is only one exit, and it will be far from where we are sending you. Once you fall down a level in this dungeon, there is no way back up without outside help. We can't tell you what level Spira will be on, but she will eventually come to yours if you can survive the wait. All you have to do is ask her where the sphere is, and then let us know when you're ready to come back. Understood?"

"Understood." Tidus frowned at him as he activated the com sphere. "Can I at least have some kind of weapon? I left mine at home today since I _thought_ I'd be playing blitzball."

"What kind of simpletons do you take us for? If we give you a weapon, you might turn on us."

"Then what am I supposed to do if I run into a fiend?"

"I suggest you run. Very quickly."

"And what if the Via Infinito pulls me apart like the Farplane did?"

Kyudou gave an exasperated sigh at Tidus's questions. "Meimo, I believe that's your department to answer."

The summoner that sent Tidus to this location stepped apart from the cluster of bodyguards. "The Via Infinito is a darker version of the Farplane, but as an unsent, you have taken on a complicated physical existence."

Tidus gave the man a bitter glare as he approached. "I'm not unsent."

Meimo chuckled. "Then why worry what the spirit planes might do to you?"

"I'm…" It was still hard to admit it. "I'm a different kind of… person."

"If you're human, you have nothing to worry about. If you're a spirit that has taken on a physical shell, the spirit plane will not _immediately_ disrupt the magic holding you together, but the longer you stay, the harder it will pull. And eventually it _will_ win. I suggest you keep your mind to the matter and get the job done quickly if you wish to return." Meimo gave a curt, thin smile, then lifted his hands to begin weaving magic around Tidus.

This time, Tidus knew it wasn't a summoning spell, but the thinning and fading of his body while being teleported was upsetting all the same. When he arrived in the Via Infinito, the first thing he did was check his chest and limbs to be sure he was completely there. But how much time did he have before he wouldn't be? He was tempted to look for an escape in spite of their warnings. He knew the Machine Faction was working in the area if he could get their attention.

Much like the sunken Abes locker room, the sterile halls of the dark labyrinth glowed only with the eerie light of pyreflies, but in more abundance. That meant, though he appeared to be alone, he was being watched by the spirits who had claimed this terrible residence as home. "Spira?" He hoped the spirit would come to him, rather than him having to hunt for her.

When there was no response, he went into the tunnel ahead of him, staying to his right to avoid getting lost. After going for some indiscernible distance, he spotted a fiend and slipped behind a corner wall to hide. Time was ticking, though. He couldn't afford to wait. Choosing a different path, he crept along the labyrinth wall and hoped the fiend wouldn't follow.

Eventually, he came across Brother's remote S-watcher that fell down the hole. Stooping to pick it up, he gave it a shake but had no idea how to fix it. "Brother? Shinra?" he whispered and gave the machine another shake. "Gippal?"

"Are you wasting time?" the voice in the com sphere spoke.

"Shut up," Tidus groused before tapping the button to turn off his com sphere and continuing down the vacant corridor, still clutching the broken S-watcher.

After walking in circles and hiding from frequent fiendish apparitions for what seemed like an eternity, he was startled by a phantom falling through the hole from the high ceiling above. The woman hit the floor hard, groaned in pain, and struggled to stand. Then, she ran to the wall, digging at it with her nails, trying to find a way out. She went through the same routine he remembered seeing on the monitors, but before he could think of what to say, she ran around the corner and out of sight.

"Spira! Wait! I need to talk to you!" He ran after her, but as he rounded the corner, she collided with a humbaba and evaporated in a flurry of pyreflies. She was beginning her cycle of falling somewhere else now. The humbaba, however, remained.

The greater species of the horned behemoth, with a stark white mane and fiery breath, fixed its hungered gaze on him and bounded forward. Since he had no way of fighting the beast, Tidus cursed under his breath and sprinted away from it as fast as his legs could carry him. But for every four strides he took, the humbaba covered the same amount of space in one.

Tidus tapped his comlink back on. "Get me out!" He ran through the maze with no idea where he was going but came to an area where the floor was littered with shattered glass - no doubt some of Trema's broken spheres. Then, he looked at the S-watcher in his hand and dropped it for a kick. The punted little machina hit the humbaba's eye with an accuracy and strength that would have made Wakka proud, but then it dropped to the floor, useless to aid him any further. As the humbaba shook its head and blinked its injured eye, Tidus raced down another corridor looking for an exit. But when he rounded another corner, he found himself facing an elder drake. The large, red reptile filled the entire width of the corridor, and flames extended beyond the length of its horns with each breath.

"Meimo! Get me out of here now!'" he yelled again to the comlink.

))((

Still wrapped in Tidus's blanket, Yuna woke from a fitful sleep and made herself go downstairs in search of food to satisfy the awful hunger gnawing at her stomach. But when she reached the bar and sat down on a stool, she lay her head on the cool wood surface and tried to think of anything that would appeal to her. It was a nameless hunger.

"Mish Yoona." The hypello came to her and blinked over her with his large frog-like face. "Do yoo finally feel like eatingu?"

"I don't think so, Barkeep," she mumbled.

"Itsh not sho good for yoo to go wishout foods for sho long."

"I'm just not hungry," she answered, feeling listless and numb to the core.

The hypello drooped with sympathy as his large, blue hand gently patted her head. "If yoo change yoor mind, yoo let me know." Barkeep looked over his shoulder at the other hypello standing in the kitchen, but she only shook her head in sympathy, too.

Yuna closed her burning, red eyes and tried to imagine this had not happened. In her mind, she could still see Tidus's smile and feel his warmth. She could hear his voice and laughter. Fresh tears trickled down her nose to _plink_ and puddle on the counter beneath her cheek.

Seated at the table behind her, Brother and Shinra were working on the final wiring and programming adjustments of a new watcher, when the monitor from the broken one suddenly came to life. As it buzzed with static, they looked at the strange occurrence with curiosity.

_ "Brother? Shinra?... Gippal?"_ someone shouted over the unstable frequency.

Yuna's eyes opened. Had she imagined that?

Brother grabbed the screen and began making the adjustments to receive a better image. "Who is finding our watcher? That sounds like -"

_ "Shut up,"_ the voice groused.

"What?" Brother scowled and slammed a fist on the table. "Don't you tell me to shut up. I am the captain!"

"Tidus!" Yuna swerved out of her seat and ran to the screen. She stared desperately into the static, but nothing was visible through it.

_ "Spira! Wait! I need to talk to you!"_

"It's Tidus! That's his voice!" Grabbing the screen from Brother, she smacked it with her hand, still trying to get rid of the static.

"Yuna, what are you doing? You're going to break it!" Brother grabbed it away from her.

_ "Get me out!"_ The image on the screen cleared a bit to show a blur of blank walls. He was holding the watcher, running, pausing, and looking down at the broken glass under his feet. The S-watcher turned toward his face for a moment and revealing his panic, then he dropped and caught it with his shoe. The S-watcher slammed into a humbaba's face, after which the connection died.

"That was him! That was Tidus!" Yuna spun on Shinra and caught him by his coveralls to jerk him up on his toes, eye-level with her. "Get it back on-line! _Now, please_!" But when the boy only blinked at her like she had lost her mind, Yuna realized how frantic she had become and dropped him back into his seat. Tears returned as she pulled Tidus's blanket closer around her shoulders. "It was him! It had to be. But why is he in the Via Infinito instead of the Farplane?"

"I'll contact the Machine Faction in Bevelle." Shinra climbed down from his seat. "If Tidus is in there, they'll find a way to extract him."

She nodded and sniffled. "I'm sorry. I just... I... Can I... watch? Just in case he comes back?" Yuna asked Brother.

"Only if you don't hit screen! Bad, Yuna!" He shook a finger at her.

"I won't hit the screen." She did, however, try willing it back to life as she settled at the table beside him. _Tidus, what's happening to you? What's going on?_

))((

One minute, Tidus found himself sandwiched between a furious humbaba and an advancing elder drake; in the next, he was sitting his backside on the floor of the Abes locker room in front of Meimo and Kyudou. "What took you so long!" he blasted them.

Meimo gave him a thin-lipped frown. "_Don't _turn off your communicator, or next time we will _leave_ your ass right where it gets stomped!"

"Send him back," Kyudou impatiently ordered. "He needs to try again."

Tidus couldn't believe what he was hearing. "What? She ran away from me, man! She doesn't want to talk!"

"Send him back!" Kyudou commanded.

Meimo cast his teleportation spell once more, sending Tidus back into the Via Infinito, this time to a different place, but once again right near an opening from the ceiling above.

Growling in frustration, Tidus rose and stood under the opening. This time when she dropped, he caught her in his arms. "Spira -"

She screamed and scratched at him to free herself, then she ran again.

"Spira, wait! I'm not a fiend! I'm trapped between life and death just like you!"

The woman slowed to a stop, then turned to face him.

"The Fayth summoned me from a dream." Tidus winced and touched the cheek she scratched, but tried to still his racing heart.

"You are not here to send me?"

Tidus shook his head. "I'm looking for your sphere. Can you tell me where it is?"

"Which one?"

"The... one you hid?" he guessed, playing off the fact that he knew nothing about it.

The woman's expression darkened. "Why do you want it?"

He sighed with defeat and opted for the truth. "Because if I don't find it, a summoner has threatened to send me. And if I get sent, I'll lose everything."

Broken and bleeding from the unhealed mortal wounds that had taken her life, she moved toward him and reached a cautious, gray hand to his arm, chest, face, as if trying to see for herself whether he was living or dead.

Her touch disturbed Tidus, for it was cold, like death. If he was from a dream, Spira was from a nightmare.

"That sphere is a key that could unlock all the worlds I've seen, including the planet of our origin. But we cannot go back to where we came from - not ever. The Founders seek to destroy us. They fear what we have done. Our abyssal shame bears witness to our deeds, yet hides it from them." Her black eyes gazed deep into his soul. "No one else must find those maps, because there are those who hunger only for the power it could give them."

Astonished as he was to hear what the sphere contained, Tidus couldn't help but think of Yuna. "What if someone wanted it just to learn about where we came from - no power grab."

"That heart would be rare, and the trip would still be dangerous." She pulled away as her body began to shine with shimmering lights. "Please, don't let anyone else have it. Protect it. Leave it be," she pleaded, shedding a tear.

"Wait." He reached for her but found himself back in the locker room, once more facing a very angry-looking Meimo and Kyudou. "She said no," he reported.

"We heard." Kyudou took the com sphere back from Tidus. "Looks like we will have to resort to Plan B."

Meimo nodded in agreement and wove another teleportation spell. This time, Tidus found himself standing in the ruins of what used to be a small bedroom - _his_ houseboat bedroom.

))((

"Any word yet?" Paine asked as she came onto the bridge.

Yuna shook her head and paced behind Shinra's chair. Her attention had been alternating between the monitor in the cabin and checking with Shinra to see if he heard anything from Bevelle yet.

The com sphere light blinked and chirped, indicating an incoming message. Gippal's face appeared on the screen, but he looked weary. "Well, we've got some good news and some bad news."

Yuna braced herself. "Bad news?"

"We sent down another S-watcher to scout for him and went through as many levels as we could, but couldn't turn up anything."

Disappointed, Yuna tried to hold her nerves together. "And the good news?"

"Mostly the same as the bad news, but considering the location, that's good news. However, we did find the other S-watcher, and it looks pretty busted up. Shinra said it looked like he kicked it into a humbaba, and I'd say that sounds about right for the kind of damage it took."

"Then... he _was_ there?"

"Possibly came and went. Want us to do another search?"

"If it's not too much trouble."

"How's the other work progressing there?" Buddy asked as he drew near.

Gippal sighed with disgust. "We have scoured this place upside down and inside out, and we still can't find anything that even remotely looks like an AI panel. All those cables lead to a dead end. We've reduced Vegnagun to scrap metal and tried to cut into the top layer of the uppermost cable lead, but it's impenetrable. We found one thin crack in it, but even that's covered by some kind of force shield."

"Can't you drop the shield?"

"How? That would be part of the AI's defense, and we can't find the AI. We can't make the repairs to the other parts of the ship without knowing if we're cutting into vital systems."

"Have you seen anything of Spira?" Yuna asked in curiosity.

"Spira? You mean the ghost-chick? Yeah, we ran into her a few times, but her routine doesn't change."

"But... no sign of Tidus? He called out her name when we heard him."

"I'm sorry, Yuna, but we haven't seen him."

She sighed with disappointment. "Thank you, Gippal."


	20. Chapter 20: Spira's Sphere

Chapter 20: Spira's Sphere

The next morning at the council meeting, Yuna walked straight to Kimahri's side and offered Seymour's sphere. "We found it in Baaj." She placed the large but fragile crystal ball into the ronso's strong hands. "Tidus said it didn't have the library in it, but it has real-sized details of the way Zanarkand used to look."

Kimahri looked down at the gift he was entrusted with, but his golden eyes reflected his sympathy for the human girl he had raised as his own daughter. "Kimahri take good care of sphere. Put sphere to good use for Tidus. If Kimahri can do anything for Yuna, please say."

Yuna nodded but didn't trust herself to say more without breaking down again. Taking her seat at the table, she buried her head in her arms.

"Lady Yuna." Tromell folded his large hands before him on the table. "We're very sorry to hear about what happened in Luca with your young man. It's a true tragedy since he wasn't even unsent. So difficult to change popular opinion once it solidifies, even if based on lies. Perhaps the Fayth can summon him back once more."

"We'll keep searching the Via Infinito," Gippal promised. "If you saw him in there, he may show up again, you know? Even the Noojster's trying to help us find him." When she didn't respond, he dipped a sharp brow toward the more stern, quiet man. "Say something to her," he whispered.

Nooj frowned at Gippal's attempt to make it look like he was concerned for Tidus, but he did feel bad for Yuna. "We're hunting down the summoner who did the sending because we believe him to be part of a larger organization that is also responsible for the raid on the temples. That's why we're here today. Baralai knows him. But if you'd rather not be here, you can go home, and we'll fill you in later." He pushed his glasses up on his nose and looked up as Baralai entered the room, escorted by guards.

"It really would be in everyone's best interest if she stayed." Baralai set a small, locked chest on the table and gestured for the guards who brought in two more like it to do the same. Then, he dismissed the guards and locked the door behind them.

))((

Drawing an uneasy breath, Baralai looked at the faces around the conference table. If showing the spheres was a mistake, the fault would be entirely on his shoulders. His gaze went to Yuna in particular. Though everyone had offered their sympathies about Tidus's sending, their words only seemed to make her feel worse.

He moved next to her seat and crouched eye-level with her head on the table. "Lady Yuna, I'm very sorry to hear what happened, but I wouldn't ask you to be here if this wasn't important. Considering how this may tie in with Tidus's sending, you really need to see what I'm about to share."

Yuna lifted her sad gaze to meet his warm, brown eyes. He really did seem sincere, so she sighed and set her chin on her hands, instead.

Baralai rose and placed a supportive hand on her shoulder before returning to the head of the table to address everyone else. "The unfortunate incident that happened in Luca will only repeat itself on a much larger scale if word of what you are about to see leaks to people who would use it for personal or political gain. I will not forbid you to share it with your most trusted advisers, but I caution you to use wisdom regarding those who you trust. It is a former adviser that we believe caused this trouble."

Lifting a pendant from beneath his shirt, he slipped it into the lock of the first small chest and turned it to dispel the magical glyphs that sealed the chest from the inside. Then, he opened the chest and removed a very old, very ornate sphere. "These are the only spheres left from what was once a highly prized collection. The rest were destroyed by Trema or suffered physical damage over time. These three remain only because we got to them before he did."

Baralai set it in the middle of the table. "These spheres are so old that they don't contain any magical water from Macalania. They rely only on ancient machina technology. The images are not even in the sphere itself. They're on disks that rest inside the sphere." He demonstrated by removing the silver, palm-sized disk from the bottom of the ornate sphere. Then, he slid it back into position and touched the activation button. The sphere lit with a rose-colored light, then produced a holographic cube just above it to display the images on all sides for everyone to see.

_ "Captain Spira, my name is Maedra." A guado with silver hair and light brown skin presented himself to a woman in a crisp blue and green uniform. "I heard your distress signal, and my scanners have shown me that your life support systems are failing. I offer my services to you as a summoner to correct this problem if you wish."_

_ "Summoner?" The woman tilted her chin with suspicion. Her smooth, tight bun of jet black hair was drawn back from her face, accentuating the sharpness of her jet black eyes. "And what exactly is a summoner, my Lord Maedra?"_

_ "Why, a person who summons magical spirits into reality, of course." The guado smiled pleasantly._

_ "Magic... Well, why didn't I think of that before? I should fire my engineers for not considering it." Her voice dripped with sarcasm, showing her tension. "How dare you waste my time with games, when I have a life-threatening situation on board. People are dying out there, and you come to me with good luck charms?"_

_ "Please, Captain Spira." The guado strode forward and spoke calmly. "You do not understand. We can make what is not real become real similar to the way that your engineers were able to design and build this ship, starting with nothing but an idea. I can give your ship a life support system by drawing atmospheric conditions out of another dimension."_

_ "I don't believe I'm even listening to this." The woman started to walk away, then stopped and turned back to him. "Go back to your ship and go back to wherever you came from, Maedra. I thank you for your concern, but right now your presence here looks more like sabotage than coincidence, and I'm apt to change my mind very quickly about being diplomatic if you don't stay clear." She leveled a piercing gaze on him._

_ "Will you allow me to demonstrate? If you disapprove, I will not waste any more of your time. Please, from what I have seen of your ship, it is magnificent. I want to help. Let me help, Captain Spira. The universe can be a big, lonely place without friends."_

_ "My planet has been attacked twice by an alien race who said they wanted to be friends. What makes you any different? How do I know I can trust you?" she looked over her shoulder at the guado._

_ "Well, that's the funny thing about trust." He smiled. "You can't do it unless you're willing to let go of your doubts."_

_ Spira weighed the critical situation of her ship against the possible outcome of this offer. "I don't have the command center's approval, but I will trust you, for now, because I have no other options." She approached him once more. " However, if you harm this ship or my people, so help me, I will make sure that you die with us."_

_ "Please, show me to your failed system, and I will see what I can do to help you protect the ones you love. Oh, and forgive me for staring, but I must say, I find your race remarkably beautiful."_

_ The captain stepped back as if unsure whether to be flattered or insulted. But she quickly regained her authoritative composure and turned to lead the way. Aside from the guado, she spoke to the cameraman. "Bring that digital recorder. I want everything he does hard-copied in case something goes wrong. If it looks like we won't survive, transmit this to Earth as soon as possible to give them fair warning they may be under attack from a new alien threat."_

The sphere clicked off.

Baralai checked the expressions of the faces around the table. He had everyone's attention now, including Yuna's. "Maedra fixed the life support system and thus introduced magic to Spira's machina ship. We think he is the one who installed the Farplane and the Via Infinito into the ship's core. We know that he stayed on Spira to manually maintain the spirit plane portals."

"Did you see that room she was in? Where is that room?" Gippal tapped his pen on the table. His frustration with scouring the Farplane's Heart was beginning to show. "It looked like the bridge to the ship, and the bridge is probably where the AI is located."

"Right now, finding Meimo is more important than finding some forgotten room." Nooj stretched his machina leg beneath the table.

"Oh yeah? Maybe Meimo's hiding in it. Ever thought of that?" Gippal groused and slouched in his seat.

"Maedra is considered by the guado to be the founding father of our race, here on Spira," Tromell offered to the table discussion. "He is the one credited with building Guadosalam, and we believe he is the source of the Farplane's existence. However, we knew nothing of the Via Infinito or Spira, for that matter. After establishing Guadosalam, he disappeared."

"The Via Infinito works the same way that the Farplane does, but in reverse," Baralai explained as he locked the sphere back into its chest and unlocked the second like the first. "None who enter there may rest. It balances the magic of the Farplane somehow, but Maedra's secrets on exactly how that works disappeared with him. Maedra is also credited with teaching Spira how to become the first _human_ summoner. But, in spite of the colony's success, the Founders disapproved of the alien power used to sustain it. They ordered Spira to expel all the guado that Maedra brought to the ship and told her to come home at once. She refused, and... that caused problems." Baralai touched the activation button on the second sphere as he set it on the table, and a new holographic cube appeared.

_ "No! NO! Give me back my baby! Give her back!" The same black-haired woman from the previous sphere was being restrained by uniformed guards. This time, however, she was in a long, white gown. Her hair was loose and wild. Tears streaked her face. When she finally quieted, it was only to catch her breath between sobs._

_ "That's not a baby; it's a monster!" The man speaking had salt and pepper hair, a stern countenance, and the same jet black eyes as the captain. "Have you taken a good look at it? Open your eyes! It's a demon!"_

_ "How can you say that? Arantisu is your granddaughter!"_

_ "She's a shame and disgrace. She isn't even human!" The face of the man yelling turned several deep shades of red as his volume rose. "This is an outrage, Spira! You have defied every order the Founders set down for you. First you allow those aliens to board your ship. Then you have them practice their hocus-pocus on it. You've got dead people walking around in some unnatural state of existence. And you've even brought demons on board! We trusted you to hold this position with dignity, or I never would have recommended you for it. Now, you've ruined both of our reputations, and you have endangered all of Earth! If you say you can get rid of the walking dead and demons by sending them away, I suggest you do it immediately, or we're going to have to destroy the whole ship just to make sure nothing like this finds its way back to Earth!"_

_ "No! You can't do that! Life is finally beginning to thrive here! It's a success! That's what you wanted, wasn't it? The space colony ship is a success!" she vehemently argued._

_ The man turned away to leaf through a folder in his hand. "Since you seem to have lost your mental capacity to hold things together out here, I have come to relieve you of your duties, Captain. The entire command center at the Colony Foundation is up in arms about this, so you'd better be grateful I offered to clean up your mess." He slammed the large folder down on a nearby desk and then spoke to one of his guards. "Take her to her room. Pack up her things. And escort her to the first pod out of here back to the space station. Here, take this with you and give it to the command center representative at the station to deliver back to Earth." He passed a sphere to one of his attendants. "It's the log of the ship's journey so far, so we can pinpoint where she's been picking up all these alien life forms. We'll be taking the ship back to Earth and holding it in the dry dock's retractor beams for observation to see if there's any way to destroy the biosystems without destroying the hull. If it looks hopeless, then our orders are to terminate it."_

_ "What about the guado and the baby, Sir?" one of his second-hand men asked._

_ The man now in command looked troubled. "Continue with orders to expel all guado from this ship, but bring Maedra to me. Offer to drop his spawn into that demon plane and see if that changes his mind about removing it from the ship. If he refuses to cooperate, execute both of them. We can't let a creature like that reach full maturity."_

_ "No! NO!" The black-haired woman screamed and raised her hands with a frantic, magical command. A summoning rod appeared in her hands, and she called out another arcane summons, creating circles of glyphs at her feet. A mantis-looking aeon rose appeared and lashed out at her captors._

_ Spira's father, aghast at what his daughter had done, drew a gun and fired at the monster. Gritting her teeth, Spira jumped in front of the aeon to protect it and threw her spear-headed staff. The blast hit her in the shoulder, but her staff charged with a thunder spell as it left her hand._

_ "Spira... what have you done, child? Now, they will not let you live," her father moaned as he looked down at the staff that skewered him through, still crackling with magical energy._

_ The woman gasped between sobs and turned to see that her aeon had already killed the two guards. Then, she looked at the cameraman who was still recording. As he backed cautiously away, she snatched her travel log from one of the guard's hands and ran for the door. "Maedra! Maedra! They took Arantisu!" she screamed down the hall as she ran._

The sphere clicked off.

Baralai waited a moment, reading expressions around the table before speaking again. "The Founders tried Spira for three murders and treason. She was punished by being thrown into the Via Infinito… with her baby."

Yuna was shocked. "How could they throw an innocent little baby into a dungeon of eternal unrest?"

"We haven't seen any babies in the Via Infinito," Gippal inserted.

"That's because, somehow, Maedra got them out. The only other record we still have of what happened next is this one." He replaced the second sphere with the third one. The holographic cube lit again, but this time, Spira was not recording. It was Maedra.

_In the glen of the Farplane, the guado carefully set up the camera to record what he was about to do. Then, he backed away with a sad expression and lifted a small, wrapped bundle in his hands. "Arantisu," he spoke to the bundle. "I could not protect you and your mother. It will forever be my curse to live without you." Emotion overcame his words, so he gave up trying to speak and cradled the bundle to his chest. Then, he began to dance. It was a soft, sad dance - one that brought tears to his eyes and evoked sobs from his chest._

_Maedra set the tiny bundle on the bed of purple and blue flowers in the Farplane and raised his summoning rod. A magical circle surrounded the bundle, and arcane glyphs began to write themselves over and around it. The glyphs hardened and solidified into a stone seal and then sank into the flower bed out of sight. A brilliant light rose from the tomb and floated around him before bursting into sparkles of light. He reached to touch them, but they slipped through his fingers, surrounding him, embracing him. The guado dropped to his knees for a moment to allow himself to grieve as they dispersed._

_Looking over his shoulder toward the camera, he held out a hand. "Spira ... Spira, come to me once more. It is time."_

_ Spira crawled into view where the seal had been and laid her cheek on the ground among the flowers. Her own body was too exhausted and torn to do more than shed silent tears._

_Supporting her in her weakened condition, Maedra held her gently pulled her into his arms. "Are you sure you want to return?"_

_ "I won't be in that place," she answered in a parched, raspy voice. "I will be everywhere, and I will be able to protect them both this time. We must do this for them. If anything happens to you, it will die. On my world, Maedra, it is the duty of the captain to go down with her ship if it means saving the crew."_

_ Maedra kissed Spira's forehead and whispered something into her ear. Then, he forced himself to stand. Stepping back from her, he raised his staff and began one final dance. This time, the glyphs his magic wove formed all around him, lining the walls and the ceiling of the ship's dome. Raw elemental magic burst from his calling and surrounded Spira, penetrating her body until she was a blinding form of light and color. As he continued dancing, the light and color levitated above him, going through several stages of change._

_ The light flashed so brightly that, for a moment, everything went white. Then, as the sphere came back into focus, the walls of the ship glowed with new sparkle. Maedra fell limp to the ground, and after a long moment, his spirit rose to disperse into the Farplane, leaving his body empty and alone._

Baralai turned the sphere off.

"He was creating aeons." Yuna broke the silence with awe. "Summoning aeons is one thing, but _creating_ them is quite another. For them to be aeons, though, they had to still be alive when they were entombed."

"Yes," Baralai confirmed. "Both of them were near death, so Spira chose to do this to protect the ship and her baby rather than heal and try to escape. The most powerful aeon on Spira… is Spira herself."

The praetor sat down at the head of the table and checked everyone's expressions once more. Did they get it? Did they truly understand what they had just witnessed? "Spira's tomb is the entire ship, but her spirit is accessible only through the Via Infinito. Her preserved life force embodies the ship, and she has sustained it all this time. We cannot let anyone harm her, or we will all pay the price."

"So, that is why Maedra disappeared," Tromell spoke his thoughts aloud, pondering the newly solved mystery surrounding the guado legend. "He seems to have known that dance would be his last."

"The creation of two aeons was so powerful that it killed him." Yuna closed a fist over her chest. "What of the baby? Has anyone ever tried to summon the baby's aeon?"

"Not that I know of - or at least, not with luck. The seal is too strong. And it is very different from those created by Yevon in making the fayth. And, as for the ship, it wasn't taken back to Earth because... the operations center disappeared." Baralai looked to Gippal.

The engineer snorted and scratched the base of his eye patch. "_Now_ you tell me." Gippal shook his head. "You are one sick bastard sitting on all those secrets, watching everyone else sweat."

Baralai allowed himself a small smile at his friend's attempt to find humor in their moment of distress. "Without being able to find the bridge, the Founders could not bring the ship home. They continued to lord over it from afar, but they were still resentful of the use of magic. And we all know what that eventually led to after Zanarkand's rise to power. Spira, I think, stayed in her last orbit until Yu Yevon persuaded her to flee. But that cannot be confirmed."

"This is the big secret that Yevon hid all this time? _This_ is what Trema tried to destroy?" Nooj complained. "It's shocking and shameful, but it wasn't worth hiding for a thousand years at the risk of destroying everything."

Baralai frowned. "Then you missed the main thing that matters. Spira kept a travel log. Did you see it? It was a sphere containing the locations of all the homeworlds of all the life forms that exist on this ship - not just planet Earth, but the home planets of the guado, ronso, and everything else of alien origins. Before she was transformed, Spira hid the sphere containing her travel log, and no one has seen it since. The Yevon maesters began hoarding spheres because they didn't want anyone else to get that information and look for ways to return to Earth or any other planet. Trema believed there were trackers embedded in one or more of the spheres, so he began destroying as many as he could get his hands on. We never found evidence to support his paranoia, but we suspect his reason for going down into the Via Infinito was to ask Spira about it directly. That's the last we saw of him. We're not sure if she took him down herself or if one of the other fiends did it. But if that travel log falls into the hands of someone like Meimo, all of Spira will be captive to a new kind of mutiny."

Nooj sighed heavily now that he understood Baralai's concern. "If Meimo gets the map and finds a tracker or the hidden bridge, he could take Spira wherever he wants, endangering us or other worlds. But to stop him, we have to find him." He gave it some thought. "Leblanc said she met him in Zanarkand during the tourist trade production. He was in Luca for the games, but he chose the temple in Kilika for his raid. He seems to be as all over the place as the rest of us, but he's got to have a central base somewhere."

"Kilika was the storage vault for the third sphere in this set. After what happened with Trema, we decided to split them into different locations. If he wasn't after all of the spheres, then he was at least after this one." Baralai lifted the ancient sphere and placed it back in its chest, using his pendant once more to lock the magical trap within.

Yuna gasped and stood so abruptly that she knocked over her chair. "Meimo didn't send Tidus to the Farplane! Don't you see? Somehow he teleported him to the Via Infinito to talk to Spira about the sphere! That's why Tidus was calling her name!" She paused to consider something the others could only guess at. "I think I know where Meimo is hiding."


	21. Chapter 21: Sunken Treasure

Chapter 21: Sunken Treasure

The Celsius hovered low near the Zanarkand ruins to allow its passengers to hop off the ramp onto solid ground. The Gullwings, Nooj, and some of his Youth League volunteers wound their way through the broken streets leading to the large ruins where their point of contact stood waiting for them. (1)

"Oi! Isaaru!" Rikku waved.

"Good to see you again." The summoner who had declared himself the guardian of the Zanarkand temple gave a formal bow. "I got your com sphere message, but I'm not sure I can help. I haven't seen anyone else here but me... unless you want to count several hundred monkeys."

Yuna reached into the pocket of her gunner outfit and pulled out Tidus's necklace and earring, displaying them in the palm of her hand. "Do you know of any place in the ruins that bears this symbol? It was the symbol for a Zanarkand blitzball team - the Abes."

Isaaru picked up the silver necklace. "Well, the only logical place to find a blitzball team would be a blitzball stadium. But it's probably completely underwater now." He gave her a pinched expression in apology as he handed the necklace back. "Most of the city lies at the bottom of the ocean because a large portion of it was built on the water. These ruins we see only scratch the surface. You can see now why I say that I highly doubt any thief guilds are hiding out here. They'd have to be blitzball players themselves to withstand living on the bottom of the ocean."

"Unless there are pockets of air trapped in the interiors of the ruins, like at Baaj," Paine said to Yuna.

"And if you have the aid of teleportation magic," Nooj agreed. "Then you only have to brave the waters once before coming and going is a breeze. We need a way to search under the water."

Isaaru folded his hands over his arms inside his voluminous blue sleeves. "You're talking about a major undertaking if you want to search the ruins below the surface. This city was very big."

Paine looked toward the waterfront. There was no telling how extensive the ruins beneath the surface were by looking at them from here. "We'll just have to start in one corner near the shore and work our way across it like a grid."

"Or, we can ask someone for help narrowing down the possibilities," Yuna suggested. "Wait right here." She ran back down the broken road out of the ruins to the ramp of the Celsius and the bridge. "Shinra! Brother! Do you still have that S-watcher you've been working on? Can it explore underwater?"

"It can be used for water exploration with some minor adjustments," Shinra answered.

"Is there any way to narrow down which area the stadium would be in?" Yuna asked with growing excitement.

"Buddy can take a sonic picture of the ocean floor to make a map," Shinra suggested. "A stadium would have to be one of the biggest structures to collapse."

"We'll get right on it!" Brother saluted Yuna, then climbed into his seat and closed up the ship for flight.

As the Celsius lifted from the ground, Buddy slid into his seat at the controls. He did a sonic scan as they slowly combed over the entire ruins. And when the data reverberated back to him, he punched up the map of the ocean floor for everyone to see on his monitor. "Wow. This was one heck of a big city. This area looks like it had a really big, single structure. Or you could try this one." He selected the two most likely choices. "Shinra, do a print out so she can guide the S-watcher on a direct path."

The boy hopped off of his chair to hit the print button for the display, and then he ran to the lift to get the scouting device.

Brother returned the airship to its resting place near the shore and reopened the hatch. "Let us know if you need anything else - anything at all!" He was glad to see her energetic again.

Yuna grabbed her map printout and studied it, trying to decide which area to explore first. "This one seems to have rounded walls. See?" She showed it to Buddy. "Think that could have been part of a sphere pool?"

After a few minutes, Shinra returned with the S-watcher and passed it to Yuna. "It's not entirely water-tight, but it should do for this."

"Thank you so much!" Yuna accepted the watcher and tucked the maps under an arm. Then, she raised the boy's face mask to give his small cheek a big kiss.

Shinra turned beet red and placed a hand over the cheek. "Hm. Not as gross as I thought."

"Hey! I did the flying! Where's my kiss?" Brother complained.

Yuna planted a quick kiss on Brother's cheek and then surprised Buddy by giving him one too, before grinning and running back to the lift with her new tools for finding Tidus.

))((

The water lapped lazily against the sides of the Celsius as it bobbed and floated on the ocean's surface. A gentle breeze lifted through the open hatch where Yuna sat on the top of the ramp, gripping the S-watcher's monitor in her lap. Rikku operated the controls beside her, while Nooj and Paine hung over their shoulders, studying the eerie images of the ruins at the bottom of the ocean floor as the spying device swam through them. Nooj consulted one of the sonic maps. "Okay, there should be an opening to the left where it looks like a big archway collapsed. There... between those big blueish circles."

Rikku turned the controls so that the little rover could scan the entire front of the structure. "Looks like there's an interior closure beyond it. See those smaller arches?" she noted. "Oh! There, look!" She stopped and pointed to a sign on the wall displayed on the screen. "The Abes vs. the Duggles! We found it! That must have been the game Tidus was playing the night that it sank, right?"

Yuna became excited at the discovery, though she told herself not to. "See if you can go in further."

"Look for an air pocket somewhere inside," Nooj advised.

Rikku hit the controls, and the little watcher swam through the entrance into the main lobby. The search took some time because the arena was so large, but eventually, the watcher hummed and whirred out of the water into flight. It found a corridor of trapped air up the stairs to the announcer's box and offices, then the watcher headed toward the locker rooms.

"Wait!" Nooj caught Rikku's hand and pulled the controls away before she could go any further. He stopped the watcher and lowered it to the side. People moved around, talking to each other at the far end of the torch-lit hallway. "I think we just found our den of thieves." Nooj turned to his Youth League members who had been sitting in the engine room behind them. "It's time for a swim."

Rikku watched Nooj grab his gear while everyone else was suiting up for the dive. "Are you going, too?"

"You think I'd come all the way out here just to sit on the sidelines?" Nooj folded his cane into a small rod and tucked it behind the protective armor that he wore above his machina leg. Then, he did the same with his thin, wire glasses.

"But..." Rikku looked at his machina limbs with doubt.

"You forget you're talking about Nooj the Undying." Pain switched her sphere grid to her thief attire for the quick swim. Then, smirking at Nooj, she grabbed an air tank, too... just in case.

One-by-one the Gullwings and Youth League members dropped into the dark, ill-fated waters of the City of the Dead. The water was frigid and even darker beneath the surface than above it. The party swam following the watcher's path to the stadium and through the washed-out entrance. Following the path toward the air pocket inside the crushed arena, they readied their weapons as soon as they surfaced. Most of the area was in shadow, but the glow of the plentiful pyreflies and the light of torches placed further down the corridor gave them enough light to get a decent view of the interior of the structure they had entered.

Sports memorabilia - or what remained of it - from the Abes and other Zanarkand league teams were scattered around the walls, ceiling, and floor. The natural decay of the structure was sometimes hard to tell apart from the damage done from the explosion that leveled it. A few skeletons littered the dry areas of the watery grave, but time and fiends disposed of most of the remains of the victims who had died there. Yuna found herself unable to concentrate on the task at hand because everywhere she looked, she was struck by the enormity of the tragedy and began to feel as if she were searching for Tidus's ghost instead of him. That's when she realized that even though it felt as if she were catching a glimpse into his past, he had never _really_ been here when this happened. Shuyin had lived here. Tidus lived in the dream.

Paine noticed Yuna's wide-eyed gaze and shudders. "Are you okay?" She changed into her dark knight sphere and readied her sword.

"Mh." Yuna ignored the chill of the cold water beading on her skin and drew both of her revolvers.

Rikku laughed with a snort and pointed to Nooj, who had just put on his glasses. A fog had formed on the lenses due to the contrasting temperature between his warm face and the chill in the air.

Removing the glasses, he turned an annoyed frown on the small thief for making unnecessary noise. Then, as his exertion from the swim cooled, he set the glasses on the bridge of his nose once more and hoisted his gun. Signaling his Youth League members to follow, he crept toward the hall where they had seen signs of life.

Rikku _hmpfed_ at Nooj's back for being too serious, drew her twin daggers, and looked to her friends. The Gullwings quietly trailed behind the Youth League, ready to confront whoever dared to confront them.

"Rikku, see how many of them you can stun," Paine whispered as they crouched behind a thick column.

"Okay, but I can stop only one of them at a time." The thief drew upon her magic and cast a bubble, a void of time, around the closest Echo Alliance member. The man froze in his tracks, but the other members who were talking didn't seem to notice that he was standing too perfectly still.

"Stay back here and use that spell as much as you can," Nooj whispered as he signaled his Youth League members to continue forward, but stay hidden.

"Okay." Rikku worked her magic again on another Alliance member. It was an exhausting spell, but it would buy time and even the odds in their favor a little. Yuna and Paine followed Nooj. Rikku pouted slightly at being left alone in the creepy place, but she continued casting her magic. She managed to cast it four times before the thieves in the hallway noticed their cohorts were stiff as mannequins.

The Echo Alliance thieves lifted their weapons and started to investigate the suspicious magic. As soon as they spotted the invading party, they fired into them without hesitation. The Youth League returned fire from their hiding places, and the ambush erupted into a small battle.

Yuna was the first to spot the room designated for the Abes, and the door was wide open since they weren't expecting company. Running through the battle, she ducked inside and leveled both of her guns at Meimo in the center of the room. "Hold it right there!"

Kyudou and Meimo had been studying the sphere of Spira Tidus took with him into the Via Infinito, but upon hearing the clash in the hallway, they had started arguing about whether to join the fight or flee. "Ah, Lady Yuna. What a pleasant surprise." Kyudou gave her a formal bow, tucking the sphere into his pocket.

Paine and Rikku were only seconds behind her once the path to the room was cleared for them. Both of them looked weary from the short but intense effort to break through the guards. Paine wore the crimson stains of her effort, whereas Rikku just looked drained of her usual energy. "You know this joker?" Paine questioned Yuna.

Yuna shook her head. "No. He probably just recognizes me from my concerts or days as High Summoner."

"We've never met face-to-face, but I'm sure you know of me from another, more personal endeavor. My name is Kyudou. I used to be the praetor of New Yevon."

Rikku gasped. "_You're_ the chairman's son? And this is where you ran away to after she rejected your marriage proposal?"

"I did not run away," Kyudou corrected her. "I moved to a more strategic location in the interest of my goals."

"Sounds like sour grapes to me." Aware of the battle sounds quieting behind them, Paine checked back over her shoulder, outside of the door, to see how Nooj and his volunteers had managed.

"No more sour than any other revolution against an oppressive establishment. New Yevon was biased against my father, so they didn't want to take a chance on having me in the office. I had hoped Lady Yuna could help me resolve the situation. The people of Spira believe in her ability to calm the storms. Together, we could have prevented all that fuss between the Youth League and New Yevon."

Yuna frowned and turned her guns on him, instead of the summoner. "I won't marry for the sake of politics. I made that mistake once; it won't happen again."

Kyudou gave her a cynical smirk. "I could not have taken you into my trust any other way. The secrets that New Yevon holds are too important for a passing acquaintance to share."

"You mean like the secret of Spira's spheres?" Nooj entered and glared at the two ring leaders they cornered. "Baralai has already told the council working on the library about those."

"What?" Kyudou's mouth twisted. "That idiot! The people of Spira are such superstitious yokels that they can't handle the knowledge of Spira's spheres. It will cause mass chaos if they find out they are on a space ship instead of a planet - one possessed of a tormented spirit no less. Can you imagine their reactions when they learn that they house a dimension of demons beneath their beloved temples? They'll try to clean out the Via Infinito, and that would be the end of it for all of us!"

Meimo gave Yuna a sly glance. "It will be like what they did to your boyfriend... only worse."

"You mean what _you_ did to him after stirring up their worst fears!" Yuna turned her revolvers back toward the summoner and clicked the hammers, ready to fire.

Meimo dodged, thinking she was actually going to shoot him this time. Paine seized the opportunity to grab the summoner and flip him into a prone position. When Meimo looked up, the barrel of Nooj's gun pointed down.

Paine pressed her boot heel into his chest, pinning him to the ground. "I'd lie very still if I were you," she warned.

Rikku and some of the Youth League members surrounded Kyudou, reminding him it would be wise for him to be still as well.

"Where's Tidus?" Yuna demanded.

Meimo laughed. "The princess has come to rescue her knight in shining armor? That's priceless. Didn't you see what happened to him in Luca? If you've come to arrest me for a sending, the last time I checked it wasn't illegal. I was only doing my duty as a summoner - a duty which you failed," he reminded her from his position on the floor. "The people of Spira expect us to protect them from fiends, not befriend them."

"He's not a fiend!" Yuna angered even more.

"We're not accusing you of a sending," Nooj calmly warned from behind his gun. "We're accusing you of raiding the Kilika temple and framing the Youth League and Machine Faction for it. You attacked Praetor Baralai that night with intent to kill, and you tried to steal spheres that, for the first time in millennia, belong to the people of Spira. I have no guilt whatsoever acting as your judge, jury, and executioner, so you should be grateful I'm willing to take you back to Bevelle for a trial, instead of dealing with you myself."

"I was acting in Spira's best interest to take those spheres away from New Yevon," Kyudou argued. "Those spheres shouldn't be put in a library where just anyone can see them. Do you realize how tainted everything about our way of life is going to look now?"

"Better to be tainted and truthful, than to live under fabricated lies anymore." Nooj gave the master thief a piercing gaze while keeping his gun on the summoner.

Kyudou smiled. "Then, we have the same goals. I am a truth seeker just like yourself. Are you aware that one of Spira's spheres is a virtual treasure map of all the places the ship has been? It includes all the worlds we've picked up various races and species from along the way."

"We know all about Spira's travel log," Yuna answered. "And we're not going to let you have it."

"Aren't you even a little bit curious to see the world we came from? See if our cities look like their cities? See if our people look like their people? No genuine curiosity?" Kyudou took a step toward Yuna, but met Rikku's daggers on either side of his throat, warning him to stay put. "Who are these Founders - these _gods -_ that had the arrogance to build our world and then destroy it without us having any say in the matter? Wouldn't it be wonderful to trace our echo back to Earth someday and say, 'Look at us now! We survived in spite of you!' We could make them proud." Kyudou grinned. "Or we could make them regret the day that they ever gave Bevelle orders to attack Zanarkand."

Yuna became alarmed at what he was suggesting. "You want to use Spira to punish Earth?"

"Nobody on Spira would want to do that!" Rikku argued.

Kyudou's handsome face dropped into a stone, cold stare. "Only because the people of Spira don't know the truth. Once the truth is revealed, they will consider their losses and demand justice. But information should be released slowly, not offered all at once in a shocking display at a public venue."

"That war happened over a thousand years ago," Yuna argued.

"But it has been one _thousand_ years of destroyed civilizations and suffering ever since. Countless deaths... All because the Founders told Bevelle to banish Yu Yevon's sorcery. And that came after years of being manipulated and exploited as a _colony ship_. We are smarter and stronger now. We can show them how right they were to fear our magic and our strength. Yu Yevon rose up against Bevelle and taught it a lesson it would not soon forget for siding with the Founders against him. And yet, Yu Yevon, the former maesters of Yevon, Trema, and even my father after them - all of them were cowards, preferring to run away and not look back."

"They preferred peace and independence, so they wiped the slate clean to start over with something new." Yuna frowned, remembering Spira's desperate pleas concerning her guado husband and bi-racial child.

"They were cheated out of their birthright when they were bullied away. _We_ were cheated out of _our _birthright to live on our homeworld. This ship is ancient. It's already breaking down, and it won't last forever. We need to return home. My father knew of spheres with tracking devices meant to send signals through space as a means of communication and distress coding. I believe at least one of those tracking devices is included in the maps Spira hid. No one has seen the ship's travel log since the day that she murdered her commanding officer… her father."

"Baralai said they've found no evidence of a tracer," Yuna informed him.

Kyudou sneered. "That's because Baralai does not have_ all_ the spheres. One of Spira's spheres did mention another sphere with a tracker. Unfortunately, that sphere was destroyed, so I can't prove it until I find the tracker myself," he said with calm determination. "I will use the trackers to find the Founders and planet Earth. And then I will do what no Spiran, including Spira herself, has had the guts to do before. I will confront them with the truth and take back what they owe us - _our world_."

Yuna recalled Tidus's response to Leblanc after finding out she was responsible for the rumors that he was unsent. "What purpose would that serve? There's nothing they can do to erase a thousand-year-old war. Revenge doesn't turn back time or bring back what was lost. You don't even know whether Earth is safe or not. Spira _is _our world. It doesn't matter where we came from. This is our home now."

Kyudou's eyes narrowed on his captors. "I find your sentiments rather ironic. You seek to punish us because you feel we've wronged you. Yet you would deny me - all of Spira, actually - the right to punish Earth for wrongs that have plagued us for centuries. Which is it, Yuna? Do we have a duty to judge and punish one another's criminal acts, or not? You can't have it both ways." Kyudou turned his stormy gaze to his summoner. "Meimo, I think this conversation is over."

"It was over before it began," the summoner agreed and cast a teleport spell.

Nooj fired his gun at the summoner, trying to stop their escape. He managed to hit the summoner once, but the remaining bullets passed through their ethereal, ghost-like bodies, as the magic of the teleport spell and carried them to a safer place. "Great! We'll never find them again now."

"Well, that was weird. They disappeared just like they were unsent." Rikku lowered her daggers.

Yuna lowered her guns and scanned the room. Unexpectedly, her eyes caught sight of something familiar on the floor near the crushed lockers. "Tidus has been here! Look!" Putting away her guns, she ran to the discarded Auroch uniform on the floor. "I was right. They didn't send him; they teleported him here to get Spira's sphere."

"Only when you saw him, they had teleported him to the Via Infinito." Paine, discouraged at having lost the guild leaders, examined the rest of the room for more clues to where they might have gone. Then, she followed the back door down the tunnel toward the stairs that once led up to the sphere pool.

Yuna's hope of finding Tidus nearby was dashed by Paine's pragmatism. Sitting back on her heels with a sigh, she folded the Auroch's uniform to her chest and reminded herself that the Machine Faction was already searching for him beneath the Bevelle temple. If Tidus were still in the Via Infinito, they would find him and bring him home... before the Via Infinito claimed him forever.

Nooj wasn't sold on that reasoning, though. "Why would they need Tidus to get that sphere? He wouldn't know where it is. Spira hid it long before he - or even Shuyin - was ever born."

"It's because, just like you, they think he's unsent," Yuna answered.

The Youth League's meyven cast the ex-summoner a side-long glance for that verbal jab at his animosity. "If that's the case, using Tidus to connect with Spira is actually a very clever plan, but also a very dangerous one."

Paine came from the tunnel with a sphere in her hand. "Maybe this will give us a clue?" She sat down next to Yuna, and when she had everyone's attention, she touched the activation button.

_ The scene within the sphere opened to scan a stadium twice the size of the one in Luca. It was full of people, and an announcer could be heard in the background over the speakers._

_ "I was in a coffee shop, running away from home when I heard the news. Our hero, Jecht, gone, vanished into thin air! My dad must have been his biggest fan. I knew how sad he'd be. Heck, we all were that day. 'Zanar,' I says to myself, 'What are you thinking?' I went running straight back home. We sat up talking 'bout Jecht all night. My dad and I never talked so much. Whoa... Didn't mean to reminisce, folks. Anyways... Ten years later, the Jecht Memorial Cup tournament is today! The two teams that have won through to the finals are, of course, the Abes from A-East and the Duggles from C-South. I know there's a lot of people out there today to see the star of the Abes! In just one year, he's become the team's number one player! He's Jecht's blood and the new hope of blitzball! What kind of super play will he show us today? Will we see his father's legendary shot? I don't think I'm the only one excited here, folks!" (2)_

Yuna grabbed the sphere to stop it. "Jecht's blood... Jecht's son was Shuyin. This is a sphere about Shuyin, not Tidus. We don't need to see any more."

Nooj grabbed it from her. "I think we do." He turned it back on.

Turning her back to the sphere, Yuna closed her eyes and hugged the Aurochs uniform closer. She had no idea why, but she was afraid to see what was in that sphere.

))((

Author's Notes:

1) A mapping error on my part should be noted from this chapter forward. While playing the game, for some reason I didn't mentally connect that the blitzball stadium and the location of the final aeon were the same place. I thought the final aeon was in a temple, like all the others, and I wrote this story based on the concept that the stadium sank. Upon replay, I realized they are both called "Zanarkand Dome," and the interior of the temple is actually the ruined stadium. This makes sense now since Yevon's sacred bow was a blitzball cheer, too. The current generation has basically taken a sport from the past and turned it into a modern religion since the original context was forgotten over time. So, of course, the stadium would be converted into a temple. Since I can't think of a way to correct my mistake without completely screwing chapters like this one, I have to continue with the idea that these are two separate places with the final aeon in a temple, and the stadium buried elsewhere underwater. Sorry for the misunderstanding.

2) In-game dialog is used here. I don't claim it.


	22. Chapter 22: Summoning the Past

Chapter 22: Summoning the Past

_ The ancient sphere panned the enormous, semi-dark stadium to take in all of the people that had come to see the tournament._

_ "Toma! He's here!" a voice called._

_ Toma, the sphere recorder, swerved to look behind him. Standing beyond the door in a long stairwell leading down to the locker room, some of the other Abes players could be seen. "It's about time. Hey, Jecht Jr. Since it's your first time up for the Jecht Cup, they've decided you're the one greeting the fans and throwing the ball into the sphere pool tonight - to honor your dad, and all that." The scene bumped a little and water sloshed beneath him, as the recorder shifted back to facing the pre-game stadium._

_ "Yeah, be careful not to throw out an arm giving that ball a toss, or we might just have to bench you," a female player's voice sarcastically added from the stairs._

_ There were chuckles from several people below in the locker room._

_ A familiar voice answered their teasing. "Well, in that case, I'll throw it in some sissy-ass, underhanded manner like you would."_

_ More laughter and a few "ooohs" as the players continued to rag each other to ease their pre-game jitters ..._

Rikku's eyes widened. "Yunie, look! Look!"

Yuna shook her head. She didn't want to look.

_ Though the sphere recorder focused on trying to capture the preparations and excitement of the distant stadium, behind him a brief shower of water could be heard from the bottom of the stairwell. There was a murmur among the Abes players, a shuffle of feet on the stairs, and finally the sound of someone wading through water toward him. When it was followed by a thump and a sigh, the recorder turned toward Jecht's son to find him in his Abes uniform, rinsed and ready to start the game, but resting on one of the benches of the sphere pool's central machina ring. Blitzball tucked under the bench behind his feet, he leaned his head back against the wall and closed his eyes to wait._

Rikku took the sphere from Nooj and scooted in front of Yuna, presenting her with the view. When Yuna gave in to her curiosity and opened her eyes, she seemed surprised, yet not surprised. The seated player in the sphere looked like Tidus, but logically it could only be Shuyin.

_ "Are you nervous?" Toma asked._

_ "Nah, just thinking of what I'm going to rename that cup once it's ours." _

_ The recorder chuckled and headed back to the stairs to leave their star player alone with his pre-game thoughts. _

_ The sphere's image faded for a moment but then continued with coverage from the opening ceremony. As the lights flashed on and the music started, letting everyone know that it was time to begin, a water spell was generated in the center of the double-axis rings while the cybernet activated to hold it in the shape of a large sphere. The ceiling of the dome split and unfolded, opening the stadium to the stars._

_ On cue, Jecht's son stood from his resting place on the bench and stepped up on one of the small, raised platforms in the machina ring above it all. Ball tucked under his hand, he was the center of attention to thousands of cheering fans. The water spell finished forming with the dramatic flair of a fireworks display. Then, the laser lines blinked on inside the pool, and the scoreboard lit up. Jecht's son was introduced to the crowd, but his name and most of the introduction was drowned out in the roar of the crowd and music. He waved to the crowd until a loud whistle blew from the stadium speakers. Then, he drew his right arm back and catapulted the ball into the sphere pool - the signal for the teams to enter. He waited just long enough to be rejoined by his teammates on the central ring, and then he sloshed forward at a run, punching through the designated place in the cybernet and swimming to his game position. Another whistle was blown, and the ball went into play._

Rikku's attention was divided between the sphere and Yuna as the former summoner held her breath, watching the game's progress. Yuna found herself so drawn to the image in the sphere that she ended up cupping it into her own hands. Though this sphere was recorded a thousand years in the past, it felt like they were watching the present. It was so obvious that those moves and mannerisms belonged to Tidus, and yet they all knew it couldn't have been him.

_ Above the noise of the cheering crowds and blaring music, sudden multiple explosions could be heard near the stadium._

_ "What was that?" The recorder's voice was different now that Toma had his hands full with offensive moves against the Duggles._

_ "I don't know," another voice answered. "Sounded like ... Oh my god! The pool's collapsing! Run!"_

_ There was a long, low creak of impending doom from the machina supports and girders overhead. The cross-axis rings that formed the boundaries of the sphere pool shook and tilted. The scene was followed by the sudden jerky movements of someone running, a loud crash, and lots of screams. Then, a wall of water met the sphere's lens before the recording abruptly ended._

Everyone was quiet for a long moment while their second-hand witnessing of the tragedy weighed on them. The recorders had probably died. Most of those people had probably died. How many similar spheres were out there recording that same exact moment of Zanarkand's death from multiple angles?

"Now, do you believe me?" Nooj broke the silence. "Tidus is just a reincarnation of Shuyin."

))((

Yuna started to disagree with him, but she was ashamed to admit she honestly couldn't tell which of them was the person in the sphere. Remembering the very first Shuyin sphere she saw, she could have sworn he was Tidus. Everyone else thought so, too. Later, when she met him face-to-face in the Farplane glen, she mistook him for Tidus again, until he told her otherwise. Yet even then, knowing he was Shuyin, she couldn't separate her feelings for him from Lenne's.

Over time, she had learned how to distinguish between some of Tidus's and Shuyin's characteristics, in the same way someone familiar with identical twins notices subtle differences that strangers might not. She knew their personality differences now, too. Tidus maintained a constant level of energy but was rarely pushed over the edge. Shuyin maintained a constant level of calm but was more passionate when pushed. But just when she had finally convinced herself that they were two completely unrelated people, the Fayth explained that Tidus had, indeed, been created from part of Shuyin's soul. Now, she didn't see how she couldn't recognize that in the first place.

Yuna came out of her thoughts to blink at Nooj's disapproving gaze. "This is a sphere of Shuyin."

"No, _that_ is a sphere of Tidus," Nooj countered, surprising her.

"Tidus never lived in this world until he came to us from the Fayth's dream. He didn't exist at the time this sphere was recorded." She put the sphere on the floor, though it hurt deeply to let go.

"You're in denial, Yuna. That looked and sounded _exactly_ like Tidus. But it was Tidus at a time when he shouldn't have been here. Which means Tidus really is Shuyin. That sphere proves it." Nooj remained adamant about that fact. "If Kyudou and Meimo are using Tidus to get the sphere, then it's because they've figured out he used to be Shuyin. And if Shuyin can possess Spira like he possessed us, he can find her travel log."

Rikku gasped with alarm. "But if Shuyin hurts Spira, he could destroy the entire ship!"

"Well, it wouldn't be the first time Shuyin became a threat to Spira," Nooj muttered under his breath, glad that someone finally understood, even if it was just Rikku.

Yuna shook her head. "Shuyin is at rest. He can't come back."

"He doesn't need to come back. If Tidus slips into Shuyin's frame of mind, he could become Shuyin once more," Nooj insisted.

"Tidus would never let that happen!" Yuna clutched the uniform closer to her. All she could think of now was the unnamed face she had seen in that sphere and Shuyin's song that Tidus played for her on the keyboard. What if Nooj was right? No, she refused to entertain that possibility. "We need to keep looking. We need to get Tidus away from them."

"That, at least, we can all agree on," he consented.

"They could be anywhere now," Paine stated. "But if they're trying to revive Shuyin through Tidus, the most effective place to take him would be places he's familiar with - like his home."

Rikku's brows rose without much hope at that prospect. "Yunie, did Tidus ever tell you where he lived?"

"Tidus never lived here. He lived in a dream that no longer exists," Yuna repeated, frowning at Rikku as if her cousin had turned on her.

Rikku blinked in surprise and drew back, not understanding why Yuna was suddenly so cross with her.

Paine grabbed the sphere and listened to the beginning with the announcers again. Then, she stopped it once she heard what she wanted to hear. "The Abes were from A-East. Shuyin probably lived in the same sector that he played for."

"We'll have to narrow it down more than that. A-East would most likely be in a northeast section of the ruins, but, since the ruins are so spread out, there's no telling how much ground A-East would cover," Nooj inserted.

"Maybe there's an address in his locker or something?" Rikku started toward the lockers. It was obvious that one locker, in particular, had recently been wiped clear of dust.

Yuna scrambled to her feet to get there first. Sliding in front of her cousin and putting her back to the door, she gave Rikku a pleading look. She didn't want to share that locker with anyone else, for some reason.

Sympathetic, Rikku stepped back.

Turning around to face the locker, Yuna touched the Abes symbol on the door and gathered her courage for the moment of truth. Hesitant, she cleared the dust from the name tag. "It says 'Tidus,'" she announced, puzzled.

Paine quirked a brow. "Shouldn't that read 'Shuyin'?"

Even Nooj was surprised at the discovery.

Yuna pulled open the locker, and the first thing she saw was the picture of Lenne on the inside of the door. _Tidus and Lenne?_ Yuna's heart began to beat faster in confusion as she reached for the items within, hoping something else would shed some light on the subject. She felt guilty for snooping, but she wasn't sure whether it was because they were Tidus's personal things or Shuyin's.

A feeling other than guilt was becoming tangible, too. Yuna had never been the type to feel jealous - not when Paine confessed her admiration, not when Rikku jokingly flirted, not even when reporters and female blitz fans seemed to melt at his charisma. Her only moment of jealousy had come from not realizing it was Shuyin in that sphere, instead of Tidus, asking for this "Lenne" person. Now, though she knew it was pointless and silly, the thought of Tidus having been with Lenne made her feel helpless and angry. She forced herself to stay focused on the fact that this was Shuyin's locker, regardless of any stupid name tag.

Her fingers hooked a small notebook underneath the toiletries and towels. Pulling it out, she sat down on one of the dusty benches and placed it on her lap over the Auroch's uniform. Flipping it open, the first thing she noticed was the backward-tilted handwriting. That definitely belonged to Tidus. The notes of game strategies, work out records, and silly doodles born of boredom brought back her smile because it was all characteristic of something he would do. Turning the book over in her hands, she opened it once more, this time catching sight of the inside cover. A series of numbers and names were scattered across it. It didn't look like an address, and yet it did. She supposed any city big enough to have coordinate-sectors for neighborhoods could have some kind of system for tracking streets. "Do you think Buddy could run these coordinates into one of his maps?"

Nooj sighed. "Worth a try. But first, let's round-up these guys that we knocked out and take them to Bevelle. We'll have to come back for Meimo and Kyudou, anyway."

))((

Since his teleportation to his former Zanarkand bedroom, Tidus spent the entire day sleeping. The door was locked, and he could barely see anything with only the glow of a few pyreflies to light the place. So, he found the bed and did the only thing he could do - rest.

He had no idea what time it was, or how much time had passed when a noise from beyond the door woke him. His room was still dark, but a glow around the sill enabled him to see through the shadows better. Tidus sat up and looked at the damage done to the room's structure. Cracks crawled up the walls and ceiling like spidery vines. Water stains and mold marred one side of the room where chunks of plaster had dropped out. The carpet and any clothing on the floor had been ruined with dirty water that had dripped in through the cracks. The housekeeping was a mess - even worse than he remembered. Anything that had once been on his shelves was now all over the floor. It smelled like must and seawater. And the creaking sounds above and below reminded him of the fact that this place, too, was probably completely submerged.

Though everything leaned to the right, he stood and made his way across the debris-scattered floor to the toppled keyboard against the opposite wall. He remembered that keyboard, but he thought Auron had disposed of it long ago when he broke it. Now it was a reminder this hadn't really been his room; it was Shuyin's.

On top of the keyboard, he found a broken frame of an Abes team portrait. _Kiryl, Toma, Naya, Luperis, Shaft, Suzam, Cetan_, ... The names came back to him as he touched each face, but he paused over the player in the center. It was disturbing to see his own face, knowing it wasn't really him. Trying to set the frame upright on the side of the keyboard where it belonged, he managed to knock a small holographic cube to the floor. He stooped to pick it up and gazed at Lenne's portrait in it until unwanted concern for her welfare began to stir within him. "Shuyin," he spoke as if the spirit could hear. "Shuyin, no offense, man, but I gotta keep you out of my head. Or maybe I just gotta get out of this place."

Setting down the holographic cube, he headed for the door to find it was still locked. "Aw, come on." Scowling in disgust, he hit it with a fist. "I see a light, so I know someone's out there!" he called. Angry about being held captive in his own home, Tidus stepped back, then gave the door a strong, solid kick. It broke away from its hinges and fell - not really a difficult task considering rust and decay had taken its toll over time.

"Temper, temper." Meimo had used a healing potion to mend the gunshot wound to his chest, but his robes retained the bullet hole and bloodstain.

"Yeah, I'm losing my temper." Tidus marched into the living room. "What do you want from me? I did what I could with Spira. She's not going to give it up. I can't help you anymore."

"You can, and you will, or you will be watching this world from the spirit plane for the rest of eternity." Kyudou stepped closer to him. "You will try to speak with Spira again. But this time, we want Shuyin to do the talking."

Tidus scowled and clenched his teeth. "Then I suggest you go to Bevelle and dig up his damn bones."

Meimo smiled. "Well, now. That's beginning to sound a little more like him, don't you think?" He looked to Kyudou, amused.

Kyudou gave a small cough to clear his throat. "You're fortunate that you lived in a little houseboat, rather than one of the larger apartment structures, you know. The larger buildings collapsed like a house of cards. This little boat, however, was simply pushed under the water and trapped there by the fallen docks. Otherwise, we might not have been able to salvage all of your spheres to learn more about you." He gestured toward a chest on the other side of the room.

Tidus blinked in surprise at the collection. "_My_ spheres?" He had no idea that so many spheres existed of his life... or rather, Shuyin's.

"Spheres of Jecht's games, your games, family, friends... I told you we did our homework. I even have a few spheres from Bevelle on reports of your execution when you tried to steal Vegnagun a short time after the Machina War officially began." Kyudou was proud of his ability to dig up so much. "It was all over the headlines in the com casts, apparently - Zanarkand blitzball legend's son goes to Bevelle to rescue his girl and ends up getting both of them killed. What a tragic waste."

"Those are Shuyin's spheres, not mine."

"The fact that you possessed Baralai to reclaim the machina was quite amusing. At least, that's what my sources have reported from the outcome of that incident. He probably wouldn't want word of that to go public, though." Kyudou seemed to be contemplating a Plan C for a moment.

"How many times do I have to tell you? I'm not Shuyin! I didn't possess anyone. I'm Tidus. I came from the Fayth's dream."

"Yes, we heard you say that to Spira, so I'm assuming that has something to do with how you came back. But whatever your unnatural existence is, your likeness to him is too coincidental to be ignored. Spira spoke to you once, so she may speak to you again. Once we have the sphere, you will be free to go, and you may take _his_ spheres with you, if you wish. Consider it our donation to the library project. Meanwhile, perhaps you should browse through them. You might be surprised at what you find." Kyudou gave him a wane smile. "By the way, the lower level of the boat is completely flooded because of the way the collapse of the piers pinned things down. I advise you to stay here where it is safe." He cued Meimo, and the summoner teleported them away.

Tidus walked up the ramp to the front door and tried the handle, but it wouldn't budge. Turning away, he walked to the back of the living room where two long, curved bay windows sandwiched the kitchen in the center. The glass had withstood the pressure of time, but dark green algae coated it on the outside, and he couldn't see a thing beyond it. With a discouraged sigh, he looked around and tried to think of another escape. For the teleport spell to work, the thieves had to have initially come into the houseboat by some other means.

Walking into the kitchen, he stared at the shattered dishes that had spilled from the cabinets. Any traces of food had long since decayed, and the same kind of damage was present here that existed in the rest of the boat. "Stay here and _starve_," he muttered to himself, wishing he had some food. His stomach growled in agreement.

If the bottom level was flooded, there must be an opening to the outside. Standing in the kitchen, Tidus faced the door that he knew led down a small stairwell into the bath and another bedroom, but he stopped short of touching the handle. A strange, yellow glow illuminated the sill on the other side - magical wards sealing him inside. It was some type of thunder spell by the look of it - a deadly combination with water surrounding it on the other side. There was no way of telling how strong the spells were, and he had no healing potions on him because of being prepared only for a game. He decided not to take chances.

The strange familiarity of his surroundings began to bother him. Walking back into the living room, he allowed his attention to drift to the chest of spheres. Tearing his gaze away, he walked back toward the door but paused at the low shelf to the left of the ramp - the one that held the multiple trophies and awards his father had won. He picked up one and dusted it off to see the name, but then set it back down. Anxiety rising, he sat down on the training mats in the corner. With his back to the spheres, he drew his knees to his chest and set his chin on them.

From where he sat, he could see the keyboard in his room. The song he remembered playing on it came back to him once more. Lenne had come to visit the day that he finished writing it. He played the song for her, and she snuggled close, just as Yuna had. She had called it beautiful, just as Yuna had. And then ...

Tidus shook his head to snap out of Shuyin's memory. "No. Think of something else."

But he couldn't think of something else. The entire sequence of events opened before him. He had walked with her to a concert afterward, and they ran into her little brother along the way. Her little brother had made a slime toy of some kind with a chemistry kit and was showing it off to them when he stole it and slapped it into the kid's face, making him giggle. It was hard to make such a serious boy giggle, so he took pride in the fact that he could do it on occasion. And he stayed with her brother to watch her concert, walking them home afterward instead of taking the "snake." That had been the street name for the swift, yet practically invisible, transportation system that moved people around the city in a blur of light. He had vowed that someday he would own a motorbike instead of having to take that crowded thing everywhere.

He used to walk from the harbor where he lived down to where the neon lights of the clubs were always beckoning. Hanging out there or on the waterfront with his teammates held many memories, good and bad. They celebrated wins together, consoled each other on their losses, and they had been there to pull him out of trouble the night that he punched a fan who got in his face about a bad game. They were some of his best friends.

He remembered his best friend from childhood - how he victory-danced around the living room after beating him at their favorite game. That friend's sister had laughed at him when he refused to get into the pool for his first swim lessons… until Jecht picked him up and threw him in. Later, she gave him his first kiss and some candy.

One memory continued to string along after another... and another. Tidus kept telling himself that they were Shuyin's memories, but they felt like his own. Faces, names, and events spilled into the forefront of his thoughts as they never had before, as if some kind of dam had burst from the pressure of holding them far beyond his grasp.

Beginning to panic, Tidus tried to find something to keep his mind from wandering in so many directions. He made himself focus on the fishing rod lying against the door in the corner. It had belonged to Jecht before he disappeared. Jecht had always yelled at him to be quiet when he was fishing, but then his dad usually yelled a lot in general. He would wait until his dad went fishing to practice his blitzball, so he could be free from harassment about what he couldn't do yet. But then his father would come home drunk and pick something insignificant to argue about. Minutes later it would erupt in a fight. It was frightening... embarrassing. His mother would let off steam by playing the keyboard or working with her potted flowers on the upper deck. But he would go to his room to cry and hate his father.

Tidus shook his head. _Think of something else!_

His eyes drifted to the furniture, and he could see his mother's emotionless shell walking aimlessly around the houseboat as she did her chores, grieving the disappearance of her husband until she was no longer responsive to anyone, including him. Then Auron mysteriously showed up to help care for them. Fortunately, Auron had been the one to discover that she had passed on.

The last time he saw Auron, before Sin's attack, was at the front door. Auron had scolded him for a bad call that made his team lose a match. Tidus found himself wishing Auron was here now. He'd know what to do to get out of this mess. Auron always knew what to do.

Tidus paused with realization as the flow of memories slowed. Auron was _his _memory. Shuyin could not have known Auron because Shuyin died before Lord Braska took his guardians on the pilgrimage to Zanarkand. Tidus knew he had to stick with memories Shuyin couldn't share. Shifting to a cross-legged position, he closed his eyes and tried desperately to think of something else unique to himself. What else did he have that Shuyin did not? "Yuna."

He remembered their first meeting in the temple when she passed her apprenticeship to become a summoner and fainted on the stairs. He remembered their first conversation. She had been the only one who believed him when he said he was from a living Zanarkand. He remembered teaching her to whistle and holding her in his arms when she cried as she stubbornly refused to give up her pilgrimage to live a normal life. Well, now she was living a normal life... sort of. All he wanted was a normal life, too, but there was nothing normal about him. He existed unnaturally. That's why he was always mistaken for the person from which he was made. Having come from part of Shuyin's soul, he did have a connection to the real world, but it was from the past, this City of the Dead. He just couldn't remember it until now. And now, he was trapped by those shared memories.

Growling to himself and clasping his hands over his head, Tidus rose to his feet. "Shuyin! I don't want your memories! I want to be me! I want out of here!"

"Then leave."

Tidus spun around and was astonished to see that Shuyin's spirit had coalesced in the pyre flies on the ramp behind him. And this time, Lenne was with him.


	23. Chapter 23: Body and Soul

Chapter 23: Body and Soul

Lenne touched a thin hand to Tidus's cheek, marveling at his likeness to the man she loved. "We've never met, yet I feel like I've known you forever."

Tidus looked from her to Shuyin with disbelief. "You came?"

"You called." The corner of the spirit's mouth slowly turned up in a wry smile." Okay, technically, you got ticked off, and I happened to be close enough that you yelled in my ear."

Still overwhelmed, Tidus saw no humor in the situation like Shuyin apparently did. "I don't want your memories."

"Then don't follow them."

"They're all over me here. I can't shake them!"

"Then leave. Is this your idea of asking for advice on something?" The spirit approached with a relaxed manner. "You know, I'd be amused at the idea of having an idiot little brother like you if it weren't for the fact that you're me."

Tidus put up his hands to keep him away. "I'm not you."

"Okay, you're not me. But you're based on a warped memory of me, and you're wearing my clothes." Shuyin slapped his hands out of his way and tried to touch the fabric of the shirt sleeve. "I never got to go back for those, you know. I thought they'd be at the bottom of the ocean."

Tidus stared at his hands. The slap had felt like a small breeze passing through him, but it was enough to push them away. He was surprised that the transparent spirit still had enough presence to make contact between worlds after having been sent. "They were in my locker."

"You mean _my_ locker." Shuyin folded his arms and peered beneath his scruffy blond bangs at his doppelganger.

Lenne laughed behind her hand. "He's different, but he's still a lot like you, isn't he."

"Please. He's embarrassing. He's like every dorky personality glitch I ever had rolled into a brand new dork." But even Shuyin seemed amused at their similarities.

Tidus frowned at Shuyin's commentary all the same.

"Stop teasing him. He seems sweet," Lenne spoke with an assuring smile. Humor aside, however, she became concerned. "You go by Tidus, right? Why are you here?"

Looking into Lenne's eyes, he was at a loss for words for a moment. It felt like the first meeting with an ex-girlfriend that drifted away from the relationship. He blushed to realize how well he knew her, even though they'd just met. But when he found his voice once more, he explained the situation as best he could, including everything he could think of about his false sending, the thieves, and their desire to get Spira's sphere.

When he finished his story, Lenne looked to Shuyin with worry. "We should help."

"There's nothing we can do," he answered. "Those at rest have no power among the living. We can barely stay long enough to speak with him."

"But those thieves might harm Spira… _and_ other worlds. And Yuna must be very worried, thinking he's been sent." Lenne gave him a lingering, pleading look.

Shuyin sighed and gave a small nod of concession. Then, he turned his attention back to Tidus. "If I were able to help, would you trust me?"

Tidus was doubtful. "You can get me out of here?"

"I think so."

He realized what Shuyin was suggesting. "Does it mean I have to let you…"

"I'll release you when it's over."

Tidus swallowed nervously at the thought of letting Shuyin possess his mind and body again. "Will I... still be me?"

"You'll probably gain some of my memories, like the first time we met. But I believe you're different enough from me to remain who you are. It's just that there may be no way to erase the knowledge of the past once you gain it." Shuyin tried to think of a better way to explain it and smiled lightly at the example that came to him. "Can you remember writing secret messages in lemon juice on a piece of blank paper when you were a kid?"

Tidus wondered what this had to do with anything, but the obscure childhood memory came to him as soon as it was spoken. "Holding it next to a candle made the message show up."

"If that paper were torn in half and new, different messages were written on each piece, the old message would still be there, right? We're kinda like that. Being here has put you too close to the candle, so you're beginning to see old writing under the new message. Once you know it's there, you can't make the old message go away. But you're writing a new message, making new memories without me. The old message won't change that."

"Except that it can. It's like Lenne said, I've never met her, yet I feel like I've known her all my life. I can't forget those memories now that they're back in my head."

"The alternative is to return to the Via Infinito for those thieves. You could die down there. You don't want both of us to die in Bevelle's dungeons, do you?"

"I don't want to lose this life. I don't want to lose Yuna."

"Then let me help you find a way back to her. You want to see her again, don't you?"

As Tidus weighed the consequences, indecision and fear gnawed at him. Moisture burned his eyes. "Yes," he answered with a broken voice.

"Then I need a way back into your world. I need a physical form." Shuyin took a step forward.

Tidus backed up a pace and held out his hands for the ghost to keep his distance, but he did not resist as Shuyin pressed his hands against his and blurred right into his body. Surrounded by pyreflies, Tidus drew a deep breath, and Shuyin was among the living once more.

The combined entity turned to Lenne with a more serious demeanor than before. "Go to Yuna. I'll take care of this end."

Lenne tilted her chin at the strange meld. He looked like Tidus, but it was Shuyin who spoke. "Let's hope Yuna is wearing my dress sphere or is somewhere I can reach." Giving him a light kiss, she faded amid the colorful particles of light that had given her temporary form.

Tidus touched his cheek where it felt, for a moment, as if a butterfly had brushed his skin.

))((

The Gullwings collected the thieves captured below the Zanarkand stadium and flew them to Bevelle. After that, they met with Baralai and updated him on what they had learned. There had been no word of Tidus reappearing in the Via Infinito yet. So, by the time Buddy started working on a new sonic platform map of the northeastern quadrant of the sunken ruins, it was late and everyone needed some rest. The search for Tidus would have to wait until morning. The Youth League volunteer soldiers set up tents under the stars, after chasing monkeys away from their chosen spots, and the Gullwings tucked into their red, metallic nest perched on the shore for the night.

In the early morning hours, though still dark, Yuna sat on the hill overlooking the ruins. She was waiting for the sun to show on the horizon, so the search could begin again. If Tidus wasn't in the Via Infinito, he had to be where Shuyin's influence would be the strongest, somewhere in that watery grave... supposing Nooj's theory was right.

In her over-sized nightshirt and fuzzy slippers, Rikku yawned and made her way up the hill to where Yuna sat. After draping Tidus's blanket across her cousin's shoulders, she passed her a bottled drink and sat down next to her. "I couldn't sleep, either. I would have warmed us some cocoa, but I didn't think I could carry it out here without spilling it." She tugged at the tab-twist opening of the drink but was unable to pull it out.

Yuna smiled at her cousin's offering and drew the blanket around herself to fend off the chilly air. The soft blanket still carried his scent - a mixture of soap, sun lotion, and cologne from taking so many showers after training and practice sessions. It did comfort her, but it also made his absence more obvious. Setting down the drink, she no longer felt thirsty.

"Don't worry, Yunie. Buddy will narrow down our search, and if they haven't found Tidus under Bevelle by then, we'll fish him out of the ocean here in no time flat."

"I miss him so much," Yuna whispered. A tear rolled down the inside line of her delicate nose. "I know that preventing Meimo and Kyudou from getting that sphere is more important, but... I'm so afraid of losing him again."

Rikku's brows rose with worry. "Now, now. Don't talk that way. We'll find him. You'll see."

Yuna leaned against Rikku's shoulder and buried half of her face in the blanket to cry.

Rikku looked down at her cousin, then blinked up at the fading moon, trying not to let the contagious emotion get the best of her. "Oh, Yunie, don't do that." Her voice rose two octaves until it was nearly a squeak as she tried to fight it and talk at the same time. "I brought out the drink and blanket to comfort you and everything so you wouldn't cry, and now you're going to cry anyway. And I can't keep doing this because it makes my eyes look all puffy and swollen. But I can't help it because I see you crying, and it just makes me... ugh!" Sighing in defeat, she rested her head on Yuna's and patted her back, sharing her sadness.

But as Yuna cried in her cousin's arms, she became aware of another presence. Pyreflies drew close, surrounding her like a magnet. Looking over her shoulder, she saw nothing, but she knew what she felt. "Lenne?"

Rikku lifted her head and sniffled. "What?"

"Lenne's spirit... She's here somewhere... nearby. It's very weak, but I can feel it."

"I don't see anything." Rikku looked at the pyreflies, but they were too thin for anything to take shape.

"Why would Lenne be trying to reach me?" While Yuna didn't mind the spirit's attempt to contact her, it did make her wonder what was wrong. She folded Tidus's blanket tighter around herself. _Tidus and Lenne_... Yuna wasn't so sure she wanted to see her, after all.

The spirit's presence began to drift away.

"Wait! I don't understand why you came!" Yuna called to the pyreflies as they rose away from her. She immediately wished she had not chased her away. She knew she should apologize for not wanting to see her. It was pointless to be jealous of a thousand-year-old spirit, wasn't it?

))((

Just before dawn, when Meimo and Kyudou reappeared in the submerged houseboat, they found Tidus asleep on the training mat. None of the spheres looked as if they had been touched. "Apparently, he means to defy us." Meimo's tight top-knot was undone now, but looser locks did nothing to lessen the severity in his sharp green eyes. Striding forward, he gave the blitzball player's ribs a kick. "Wake up." Grabbing the back of Tidus's shirt, he pulled him upright.

Tidus groaned and winced at the awful awakening, but sat up.

Meimo walked a circle around him, studying him closely.

Tidus's angry eyes followed every move.

"How did you sleep?" the summoner finally asked.

"Fine, until you came in."

"Stand up."

"You didn't say the magic word," Tidus retorted.

"_Now_." Meimo kicked him once more.

In one swift motion, the blitzball player rose to his feet and clenched the collar of the summoner's robes in tight fists. "Kick me again, and your head's going to find out how a blitzball feels at the end of a bad day," he calmly warned.

Kyudou's stormy eyes studied Tidus with keen interest. "Let him go."

Tidus pushed the summoner back but continued to glare at him.

"Back away, Meimo," Kyudou coolly instructed his summoner.

Meimo scowled right back at Tidus and dusted the wrinkles from his layers of robes, but he backed away from their hostage.

Drawing closer to Tidus, Kyudou noted the subtle change in his eyes. "I think it worked." The leader of the Echo Alliance allowed himself a genuine smile.

"Of course it worked." Tidus's face and voice shifted slightly to reveal a ghostly possession - two nearly identical layers of himself. "Be careful what you ask for. You just might get it."

Kyudou was stunned at the subtle transformation as Shuyin's persona physically solidified over Tidus's. "Quickly! Send him to the Via Infinito!" he told Meimo. "Shuyin, this is exactly what you need to do with Spira. If you possess her, you can make her reveal the location of the travel log!"

Meimo lifted his staff to begin his teleportation spell.

Shuyin focused his dark glare on the summoner and cast his own maddening magic. The summoner cried out in anguish, and grabbed his head. "No! NO! Get him away from me!"

Kyudou's eyes widened. "What are you doing! Release him at once!"

"Or what? He'll send me?" Shuyin countered. "You aren't the one who summoned me, so you can't control me. Shame on you for wanting me to attack Lady Spira to steal her secret maps."

Kyudou drew his sword and lunged toward Shuyin. The blitzball player dodged the strike and ran for the door. Possessed of Shuyin's spell, Meimo used his bladed rod to strike out at Kyudou and sliced through fabric to flesh. Kyudou turned on his companion just in time to block a second attack. Shuyin then cast the same maddening spell over Kyudou.

Struggling against an overwhelming urge to attack his companion, the guild leader made himself put away his sword and tried to back away from his summoner. Shuyin shook his head at Kyudou's strength of will and focused more intrusive magic into him until an involuntary blizzaga spell formed on the guild leader's lips and fingertips. With the last ounce of his own will, however, Kyudou turned toward Shuyin. The blast hit Shuyin, as well as the door and wall behind him, freezing it in a solid sheet of ice.

Meimo slashed toward Kyudou's back, opening another large wound in the guild leader's body. Kyudou couldn't resist the magical madness boiling inside of him any longer. Though he protested with a loud cry, he focused his next spell on his friend.

It had been a long time since Shuyin felt any physical pain - since he had felt anything physical, for that matter. The ice shard in his thigh made him gasp and grimace, nearly crippling his plans, but with Meimo and Kyudou fighting each other, Shuyin threw his weight against the door. He had hoped it could be easily broken, but the ice fortified any weakness that developed over time. The situation began to seem hopeless, and he was about to give up when a dose of determination surged through him.

_ We have to get out of here! Keep trying!_ Tidus's intuition urged.

Gritting his teeth, Shuyin pulled the ice shard from of his thigh, ignored the throbbing wound, and sought anything around the room that might aid his escape. While Kyudou and Meimo continued to fight, he limped toward a small stool and took it to the large bay window on his right. With as much strength as he could muster, he slammed the stool against the ancient glass. Several hits were needed, but the window eventually cracked. Water began to stream through - first a little, then a lot. As the ocean poured into the little boathouse, Shuyin slammed the stool into the glass one more time. The stool broke, but the entire window shattered under pressure. Incoming seawater pushed him, Meimo, and Kyudou against the other side of the room.

Leaving the two Echo Alliance thieves to fend for themselves, Shuyin swam through the broken window outside the boat to the fallen pier. In the dark, freezing water, he groped his way through the maze of barnacle-and-algae-covered concrete and squeezed through narrow passages between thick, broken slabs to fight his way to the surface. The glowing eyes of sea fiends drew near following the scent of blood from his leg, so he paused long enough to cast a few more confusion spells toward them. Then he swam fast and hard through the sunken ruins.

When he finally broke the surface, a sharp breath drew air into his lungs. He blinked the saltwater from his eyes. Spotting the Celsius in the distance, he kicked back under and swam toward the shore.

))((

"Yunie! Look!" Rikku pointed to the water. Above the reflective surface, against the sunrise in the painted sky, a small light-colored object bobbed toward them with steady speed. "Maybe Lenne was trying to tell us he was on his way!"

Standing, Yuna focused on the advancing object. Was it him? Could it be? She held her breath, waiting impatiently for the object to draw near. But as soon as she saw his mop of golden hair, she dropped the blanket, jumped down from the ledge and ran to meet him. "Tidus!"

))((

Shuyin swam until his feet touched land, then he waded through the shallow water until Yuna closed the distance and threw her arms around his neck. She was so overjoyed her hug nearly squeezed any remaining air from his lungs. "Yuna..." He coughed up seawater and shivered beneath her as she clung to him. "I'm..." He coughed again.

Pulling back, she surveyed his ragged condition and helped him the rest of the way onto dry land, where he collapsed on his hands and knees to catch his breath.

"I'm glad you're here," he said between labored breaths. But when he lifted his chin to explain what had happened, he received a warm, stunning kiss.

When he wasn't eager to return the sentiment, Yuna sensed something was wrong and sat back on her heels, worried. "You look so pale." Her fingers traced his brow, cheekbones, jawline as she noted his condition and injuries. But then a visible sense of dread washed over her expression. Shaking her head in disbelief, she stood and backed away.

Shuyin shivered with the shock of cold and fatigue for the first time in a thousand years, but he made himself stand. "It's not what you think."

Her eyes widened. "Where's Tidus?"

"He's here."

"_Where?_" she demanded.

"Here. With me." He patted his chest with both hands, but he could tell that only increased her fear. "He asked me to help, but I can give him back to you now." Shuyin closed his eyes and imagined himself leaving Tidus's body. Usually, all he had to do was separate from the mind of his host and walk away. But when he searched for a point of division, he saw only himself. He knew where _he_ ended, but he had no idea where Tidus began. Reaching into Tidus's memories, he only found himself locked out.

Yuna watched and waited, anxious. "This is why Lenne came to me, isn't it? She knew about this. What have you done to Tidus? Shuyin, please release him," she begged.

"I'm trying."

"Then why isn't it working?"

"I don't know." Shuyin touched his arms, unable to figure out why he was still trapped in Tidus's skin. "Is it because he's part of me? Or is it because his body's not real? It worked in Guadosalam's Farplane, but I guess that was a shorter -"

"Shuyin, how could you!" More distraught than ever, Yuna tore away from him to run back to the airship.

"Yuna!" In spite of his weariness, he jogged after her. "Yuna, wait!"

Rikku was cleaning up where they had been sitting. "Wait! What's the matter?" she asked as her cousin raced past.

Still tired from his underwater escape, Shuyin slowed down at Rikku's side to catch his breath again.

Utterly bewildered, Rikku draped his blanket around his shoulders to warm his chills. "I can't believe she ran away like that. What is wrong with her? She's been one soggy noodle since we thought you were a goner." She gave him a hug. "Well, _I'm_ glad to see you."

Shuyin accepted the blanket and hug but his attention remained glued to Yuna's flight. "Thanks, but..." Apologetic, he pulled away from Rikku and ran up the ramp into the airship. Just outside of the cabin, he caught up to Yuna and snagged her by the arm. "Tidus is still here. I swear it."

She snapped her arm out of his grasp. "Then release him!"

Shuyin stared at her tear-streaked face, and words almost failed him. "I want to, but… I can't."

"You can't because the pieces of your soul came back together. Is that it? Because that means the only one left is _you_! Well, I don't want you! I want _him_! And I want him the way he used to be!"

"Yuna, he's still here! Look at me!" He pleaded with her. "I'm him."

"No, you're not! I don't care how much you look like him! You are _not_ the person I love!" Breaking away again, she ran through the cabin up the stairs to her bed and fell onto her pillow, crying.

Half of his heart felt as if it had shattered all over again.

_Now what? _he asked himself.

_Keep trying_, his instinct answered.


	24. Chapter 24: Deathseeker

Chapter 24: Deathseeker

Yuna's emotionally charged rush to her bed woke Paine. Sitting up with a yawn, she was about to question her friend's unusual behavior when she was surprised to see Tidus slowly ascending the top of the stairs, favoring a wounded leg. "You're back."

He acknowledged her greeting but went straight to Yuna.

Paine knew something wasn't right if Yuna was unhappy to see him. She hated to eavesdrop, but her instinct told her there was reason to be concerned. Rikku had followed him up the stairs, and Paine gave her a questioning look. But the small thief could only shrug in confusion.

Tidus was dripping wet, so he didn't sit on the bed. Instead, he crouched next to it. "Yuna, I'm so sorry. Shuyin was the only weapon I had against the guys that were holding me. He was the only way to come home to you."

"_Shuyin?_" Paine exchanged a frown with Rikku. Both of them moved closer with caution, trying to get a good look at him.

Yuna tried to stop crying, but she just couldn't accept this.

"Now you won't even look at me?" His voice caught in his throat with a heavy sadness. "Yuna, please don't send me away because of him. Please … don't ever send me away again." Too physically spent to know what else to say, he let his forehead rest on the pillow behind her and sniffled with a chill.

))((

His personality had switched so subtly she hadn't even noticed when it happened, but hearing the emotion behind those words, Yuna choked back her sobs to take another look at him. Cautiously, she touched his damp head and sifted a few strands of hair through her fingers. Was it the same cut? The same color? He lifted his head, his expression telling how badly he wanted to be believed, but his face was not quite the face that should have spoken those words. "I don't know who you are anymore," she confessed, trying to blink away tears that would further distort his image. "I hear Tidus, but I see Shuyin."

"Tidus has always been, and will always be, a part of _me_, Yuna. His name came from one of my nicknames," he lowered his gaze to the blanket. "It's… a stupid story. But it was a heck of a lot better than being called Jecht, Jr."

Realizing that Shuyin was speaking now, Yuna rolled over and presented her back to him.

"When you needed help sending my old man, the Fayth chose me. But they knew I was still upset over what happened to Lenne during the war, so they used _only_ that part of my soul that wished for a second chance to do things differently. Tidus is the person I could have been under different circumstances. Tidus is the one who came to you, but he's an alternate _me_. I want him to have that second chance just as much as he does, Yuna. So when he asked for help finding a way back to you, I knew _exactly_ how he felt, and -"

"You didn't have to take control of him. You knew something like this could happen!" she protested, refusing to face him. "We were going to look for him again if you'd just waited!"

"Waiting might have been too late. He was losing his mind being back on that boat, and they were going to send him back to the Via Infinito - unarmed. He could have been lost forever if he died down there. At least I brought him back alive. Although, neither of us is very patient, I guess." Shuyin sighed at his intrinsic flaws. "Look, I don't know why I can't leave his body, but he's fighting really hard to keep his own mind apart from me right now, believe me. He's locked me out, and he needs to stay locked away as much as possible until he's alone in the skin once more. Just… please don't give up on him because you can't bring yourself to see him in me."

Yuna squeezed her eyes shut and tried not to listen.

))((

Shuyin watched Yuna's back as she continued to cry. Then, helpless to ease her fears and resentment, he moved to sit on Tidus's futon. His leg was killing him, and he rubbed his hands over his cold face marveling at the sensation of feeling once more. From his peripheral vision, he could see that Rikku crept near, so with a resigned sigh, he turned to let her have a good look.

Rikku scrutinized him with uncertainty but then registered soft surprise. "Ohhhhh. You really _are_ Shuyin. And you're alive this time."

"Not really. This body is an illusion, almost like the one I draw from the pyreflies. But it's stronger - strong enough to feel alive again. Tidus can feel pain, get cold, bleed, feel hungry... I didn't think about any of that when I offered to help him escape." He held his hands out before him, marveling at how real they looked. They were his own hands this time, instead of some stranger's.

"Is... Tidus still alive?"

"Yes. Two minds in one body, but he let me have control so I could be his weapon while he concentrated on protecting his own identity. Only I can't leave for some reason." Shuyin felt Tidus's heart constricting within him at the thought. "I can't return to Lenne this way - not without destroying the illusion by jumping back into the Farplane." He supposed the Fayth could always summon Tidus back, but what if they couldn't?

"What of Meimo and Kyudou?" Paine asked, standing nearby.

"They've probably either drowned or destroyed each other. That was the plan, anyway."

Rikku slipped toward Yuna's dresser and removed the blitzball sphere taken from the sunken stadium. She tapped Shuyin's arm to get his attention again and offered it to him. "We found this near the Abes locker room. Is it you or him?"

Shuyin was hesitant to accept the sphere but touched the activation button and watched as it played the opening ceremony of the game again. "It's both of us," he said after a moment.

"But it looks like Tidus. That's his uniform."

Shuyin's brow dipped in mild annoyance. "What is it with him claiming my uniforms? But I had more than one, you know." He realized that wasn't the answer Rikku wanted. "Look, it's okay if you don't get this. I know it's confusing and weird." He indicated the blitzball game playing. "But this tournament happened before he was separated to become his own little… whatever he is. So, in a sense, yeah, that's him. He was there and played in the tournament because I was there and played in the tournament. He remembers this game exactly the same way I do. Well, except for how it ended." Shuyin turned off the sphere and passed it back to her. "The Fayth tried to make him look slightly different, like a twin, so they could tell us apart. They altered his background a bit to prevent him from making the same mistakes I did because it was the only way they could use him to defeat Sin. But before the Fayth got hold of him, he was me."

"How do you know he remembers a different ending to the game? You said he was locked away." Rikku was confused.

"He told me."

Rikku's brows rose in awe. "He talks to you?"

"You know how people sometimes hear a little voice in their head? Well, he's quiet, but I can really hear his voice."

"Can he hear us talking about him?"

Shuyin blinked at her for a moment. The answer should have been obvious after everything he just tried to explain. "He hears everything I do. He's me; I'm him."

"Hi, Tidus!" Rikku yelled into his ear and waved. "Come back soon! We love and miss you!"

Shuyin winced and pushed her an arm's length away. "He's quiet - not deaf."

"Oh, right."

"How did you survive Bevelle's attack after the stadium collapsed?" Paine sat down on the floor and drew her knees to her chin.

Shuyin gave a somber shrug. "Luck, I guess. I was above the sphere pool when it was hit by the bombs, and then I fell back into the water as the whole stadium collapsed and sank into the ocean." He glanced cautiously at Rikku, wary of her blasting his ear again. "I went looking for Lenne, and we helped as many survivors escape as we could, but... most of them didn't make it. It was chaos because the explosions took down the entire network of floating bridges and piers. Zanarkand was utterly destroyed. But in the dream, Tidus got sucked into Sin and was brought here instead. He didn't have to relive the aftermath of the attack… or the war."

"So, Tidus came here to save Spira, but you went to Bevelle to destroy it?" Paine quipped.

Shuyin didn't find much humor in her observation of his paradoxical nature. "I went to Bevelle to save Lenne. Had Tidus been allowed to live through what happened after the attack, I know he would have done the same thing. I know because he feels the same way about Yuna. If she was in trouble, he'd do whatever it takes to save her."

Rikku looked at Yuna, lying still and silent on her bed with her back to them. "You know, somebody should take a look at that leg and heal it," she hinted.

Paine could see Yuna's face from where she sat, and she could tell she was in no mood to interact with Shuyin at all, not even for this. "You'd better go ahead and do it," she quietly advised Rikku.

"Me?" the small thief protested.

"You healed Baralai." Paine tilted her head. "Or did that have nothing to do with his wounds?"

Rikku frowned at the warrior's insinuation. "Baralai didn't have to take off his pants."

Shuyin frowned in puzzlement. "Excuse me?"

"Just cut the fabric."

"Wakka would kill me for destroying an Auroch's uniform."

"They're already ruined, Rikku. Look at them. Big hole in the thigh, blood, seaweed crud... That's not going in the laundry. Not on my wash day."

"Oh, fine." Rikku put down the sphere and dug a small pair of scissors out of her drawer. "Hold still so I don't accidentally cut you," she ordered, giving Shuyin a small push to move him out of her light. "I am never going to hear the end of that about Baralai, am I?"

"Probably not," Paine answered.

Shuyin glanced cautiously between the two young women who argued and the one between them that was completely unresponsive. Rikku crouched to snip the fabric away from the thigh wound, but when she got too close to where it was tender, he jerked his leg away and raised an arm to block her.

She gave smack of reprimand to his arm. "Stop moving."

"Don't smack me," he protested.

"I always smack you when you don't hold still."

"You do? How does he live with the three of you like this?"

Rikku straightened and placed her hands on her hips. "What's that supposed to mean? What did he say about me?"

Shuyin sensed Tidus warning him to shut up quickly, or he'd probably regret it. Shuyin opened his mouth, but then promptly closed it again.

"Hold still," Rikku ordered again, pushing his knee back down and cutting the tough fabric around the wound until it was exposed. Then, she placed a hand over the gash left by the ice shard and used her fingers to press the wound together as she wove white magic around it.

"That hurts," he grumbled.

"Hush! I'm concentrating," she warned without looking up.

Shuyin groaned in defeat and fell back on the futon. For lack of something better to do, he picked up the garment grid Tidus had left there before his game in Luca. Tidus immediately gave him the knowledge he needed regarding the use and purpose of the item. Shuyin studied the armor spheres to see what kinds of weapons they held, then watched as Rikku finished drawing both sides of the cut together into one long scar. His eyes narrowed slightly, and his head tilted with interest concerning this fresh scar. "Is Baralai here among you?"

"He's in Bevelle." Paine stretched, set an elbow on the edge of the bed behind Yuna's back, and rested her chin on a fist. "Nooj is here, though… camping with the Youth League. Just don't expect him to give you a warm welcome if you've got your heart set on a reunion. In fact, if I were you, I'd hide until you have this little problem solved."

"Nooj… Nooj would definitely be willing to do something like that," Shuyin muttered to himself.

"Do what?" Paine asked, wary of anything Shuyin was planning.

He sat up as Rikku stepped back to admire her handiwork. "Do you happen to have any phoenix down?" he asked.

"Sure. Why?"

Shuyin stood and walked around to the other side of Yuna's bed, crouching eye-level, facing her. "There may be another way to separate us. Please have some phoenix down _immediately_ on hand." Then, he jogged down the stairs, leaving the cabin.

))((

Yuna lifted her head from her pillow and looked to Paine and Rikku with alarm. "But phoenix down is only used for…" Jumping off of the bed, she raced down the stairs after him. "Shuyin! Shuyin, no!"

Because of Yuna's reaction, Rikku was worried. "One other way?"

Paine was already on her feet and headed down the stairs. "He's going to try to die again!" she called back, jumping the last stairs at the bottom before running after Yuna and Shuyin.

"What? No! Wait! I just healed him! And he didn't even thank me!" Rikku put down the scissors and ran to catch up.

))((

Shuyin jogged out of the airship and scanned the Youth League tents. "Nooj! Meyvn Nooj! You want retribution? Now's your chance!" He jogged between the tents. "Get your ass out here and fight me! Man-to-man this time!"

A few minutes later, the leader of the Youth League crawled out of his tent to see who was bellowing his name this early in the morning. "Tidus?"

Shuyin turned in the direction of the meyvn's voice. "Fight me. Take your best shot. You've been dying for this opportunity."

Nooj's expression darkened, knowing there could only be one explanation. "Shuyin…" The spirit who once possessed him had somehow come back to life through Tidus. "So, you finally surfaced and claimed him."

"Nope. He summoned me. Can you believe that?" Shuyin approached his previous victim. "The little idiot needed help getting away from some thieves, so he decided I was a risk worth taking."

Nooj's brows furrowed as he took a step back. "Did you find Spira's sphere?"

"No, but I set Meimo and Kyudou onto each other like a pair of rabid lupines for thinking they could order me around like some kind of henchman."

"Considering you used the same tactics on me and my friends, don't expect me to congratulate you."

"That's gratitude for ya. I was trying to be helpful this time."

"Shuyin! Stop!" Yuna ran to him and clutched his shirt. "Don't do this," she begged. "Don't kill Tidus. Please, don't kill him!"

"Yuna…" Shuyin apologetically removed himself from her grasp. "This was his idea. He knows it's necessary. Tidus's body isn't like other bodies. He's made of spirit magic. But… so am I, now. Like that hole in my leg Rikku mended, we fused back together. I have to cut myself loose. I have to weaken the physical bond his body holds over me, but I won't let him die. I promise. Have some phoenix down ready, … just in case. Trust him, if you can't trust me."

Yuna broke into sobs again. Paine gave Shuyin a wary glare but put an arm around her friend to coax her away, to let him do what must be done to put things right again.

Shuyin gave the warrior a nod of gratitude for her assistance. Then, he approached Nooj once more. "I need you to fight me, so she can have him back. So I can return to Lenne and rest."

"I don't fight unarmed, unarmored men." Nooj frowned severely at him and turned away to enter his tent.

Shuyin switched the garment grid to guardian mode and drew Brotherhood from his sheath. Slipping the sword under Nooj's chest, he barred him from entering his tent and switched off the grid, tossing it to the side where Yuna, Paine, and Rikku stood. "Meet you half-way. I'm armed now."

As the sun rose over the horizon bringing broad daylight, Youth League members were roused from their sleep by the noise. They came out, drawing their weapons, ready to protect their leader from the hostile fiend.

"No, don't shoot!" Paine cried out and ran to Shuyin once more, stretching her arms wide, using her body to shield him. "He's got to do this his way, or we could lose Tidus!"

The volunteers were skeptical but lowered their weapons. The Gullwings crew, also hearing the commotion, came outside to see what was going on. The small crowd that gathered around Shuyin and Nooj stood confused, cautious, and on edge.

"Thank you," Shuyin told Paine, surprised that she, of all people, would intervene on his behalf. No, it wasn't his behalf. Tidus had real friends here and a real life, whether his body was real or not. Shuyin had to find a way to give it back because, to him, nothing compared to the pain of separation from a loved one.

Paine looked to Nooj in apology, but then turned away from his accusing glare to rejoin Rikku and Yuna on the side of the gathering. She was a traitor in his eyes now.

Shuyin leveled a penetrating stare at the Deathseeker. "Nooj, you're the only one here who's not afraid to fight me. If you don't come after me, then I'm coming after you."

"No matter how much I despise you, I'm not an executioner." Nooj knocked the sword aside from his chest and walked away.

"You nearly were. Remember?" Shuyin shaped his hand like a gun and fired a silent "bang" toward Paine. "I could do it again, you know. I could make you turn on everyone here."

The gesture was too much for Nooj to bear. He swerved, and his machina hand crunched into Shuyin's jaw with enough force to knock him back a step.

With a grimace, Shuyin touched the throbbing side of his face. "You owe me big for this, _little brother_," he muttered to himself before his attention returned to the meyven. "You're gonna have to do better than that, Nooj. Finish me off, or I'll make someone else do it. Which one of your friends should I influence next? You might remember that I can't really control anyone under the influence of dark magic. Because when pain and confusion grip the mind so hard that you can't tell friend from foe-"

Nooj grabbed Shuyin and punched him again, this time knocking him to the ground. Heart racing with hatred and frustration over what he had suffered previously at Shuyin's hands, he limped forward and stood over his tormentor. "I don't want to risk killing Tidus. For Lady Yuna's sake. But I'm not letting you harm anyone else! After everything you've done, you don't even deserve to be sent back to the Farplane! You're the one that should be in the Via Infinito instead of Spira!"

Shuyin wiped the blood from his jaw and nose. He grew quiet, measuring what he knew about Nooj's strengths and weaknesses from having possessed him for two whole years. Then, casting Brotherhood aside, he scrambled toward Nooj, pushing him to the ground.

Anxious on-lookers watched with thin restraint at Paine's urging while the two young men grappled, rolling in the dirt and rocks, each taking punishing hits from the other. As they began to wear each other down, Shuyin lost patience and cast his dark magic.

Nooj yelled in anguish as the intensity of his former madness returned. Tearing away from Shuyin's grip, he reached for his gun and fired multiple times, as if each bullet had a name attached to it for the lives Shuyin tried, but failed, to destroy while using him.

Pain seared through Shuyin's chest, shoulder, and abdomen. Breathing was suddenly difficult, and a cold sweat enveloped him, making him feel like he was going to pass out. Dropping to his knees, Shuyin steadied himself and withdrew his dark magic from Nooj's mind. A proud but morose chuckle turned into a labored cough. "Told you... I could make you... do it again."

Wide-eyed and shaken, Nooj dropped his gun and fell back against a rock to catch his breath.

))((

Yuna ran to Shuyin and knelt beside him, cradling him into her arms. He turned his head to look into her eyes. "Do you... have the phoenix down?" He was losing his struggle to breathe. "Once I release him... it will be up to you."

"I have a spell," she sniffled, trying not to cry.

Shuyin nodded and closed his eyes. The illusionary body was dying, so while it struggled to maintain life, he stood and walked away as an unsent apparition.

Yuna let Tidus recline on the ground and drew his shirt away from his torso. Catching her breath and working through blurred vision, she set her hands over the life-threatening wounds and whispered white magic. Clusters of light surrounded her, drawing energy from her and transforming it to mend the wounds. The intense spell lingered as it worked to repair all of the damage. And when it faded, she held her breath, waiting to see if it had been enough. Tidus's eyes opened half-way to acknowledge her nearness, and he reached a hand to her cheek. With a cry of relief, Yuna hugged his neck, tears freely flowing. This time had been too close for comfort.

"I think I need your help returning this time," Shuyin spoke to Yuna. "It was too close to being real again for me, so he probably shouldn't be here for the sending."

"I'll wait for you inside," Tidus whispered to Yuna as he sat upright.

"Mh," Yuna sadly agreed, giving him a kiss and a hug that she was reluctant to release.

With her help, Tidus stood and faced Shuyin. Glancing down at himself, alone in his body once more, he noticed how dirty and bloodstained he was, but he didn't quite know what to say. "Thanks," he weakly offered. "And... sorry about the shirt."

Shuyin returned a faint smile. "You know what? I've changed my mind. It's all yours."

Amused at that response, Tidus looked toward Nooj. The meyvn was still reliving something harrowing that words couldn't begin to justify, so Tidus simply bowed in apologetic gratitude for his role in setting him free.

"Rikku." Yuna sniffled. "Please go with Tidus and keep a bottle of phoenix down nearby in case he starts to fade."

Rikku nodded, waved to Shuyin, and then allowed Tidus to use her shoulder for support. "Welcome back for real this time," she told him.

He answered with a tired smile as they walked toward the airship.

Yuna waited until they were out of sight with Tidus safe inside. Then, she stood and spoke to Shuyin. "I'm... I'm sorry about the things I said earlier. Thank you for helping him find his way back. And, please, tell Lenne that I'm sorry I didn't understand." She wanted to apologize for feeling jealous, too, but that would mean admitting to it.

Shuyin smiled and nodded that he would.

With hesitation, Yuna summoned her Nirvana staff. Now that she wasn't angry at Shuyin, she could still see Tidus in him. She was even sad to have to send him again, but she slowly began her dance. Shuyin faded until Yuna was left in the center of a sparkling mist of pyreflies.

The Youth League members returned to their tents, but they would be discussing what happened for days or weeks afterward. Paine helped Nooj toward his tent and offered to bring him food or drink, anything that might make him feel like himself again. He only wanted a good, stiff drink and to be left alone.

The rest of the Gullwings watched Yuna with concern but knew to leave her with her thoughts for now. After the Gullwings returned to the airship, Yuna panned the ethereal Zanarkand ruins and drew a calming breath. Heading inside, she went straight to Tidus's futon and found him sleeping off his fatigue.

"Sssh," Rikku whispered, putting a finger to her lips. "He was out as soon as his head hit the pillow. Want me to bring you something from the kitchen?"

"No, thank you."

With a smile, Rikku tip-toed down the stairs to join everyone congregating at the bar for breakfast.

Yuna lay down beside Tidus on the futon and noted every detail of his face as he slept, to be sure it was really him. Then, taking his hand in hers, she kissed his cheek and was content to let him rest before answering everyone's questions about what happened while he was away.


	25. Chapter 25: Harvest

Chapter 25: Harvest

Tidus slept long and hard, but when he finally woke and stretched, the three women he shared the loft with stopped chatting on their beds and watched him with concern. Their attention was so intense that he wondered what was wrong. Scratching his head, he looked down at the old, long-sleeved Abes shirt. Okay, so it wasn't in the best condition with the holes, bloodstains, and sea muck, but at least it was dry now. He patted his chest to make sure he hadn't half-faded and hesitantly looked behind him wondering if something was there. "What are you staring at?"

Rikku giggled. "You, silly. We were beginning to think you were going to sleep all day."

"How do you feel?" Yuna retrieved his necklace and earring from her dresser.

"Tired, but okay… I guess."

Paine brought Brotherhood to the futon, standing it carefully against the side of the frame. "You left this outside."

"This too." Rikku placed his discarded sphere grid near it. Then, leaning forward, hands on her knees, she studied his face.

"Stop staring at him like that. It's _him_." Paine smacked Rikku's ponytail and used it to pull her back a step.

Tidus accepted the grid and slowly, carefully sat up. After rubbing a thumb over the sphere that would change him into guardian mode, he stood, winced at the unusual stiffness of certain muscles and joints, and replaced Brotherhood in its sheath.

"Are you sore?" Yuna brought his jewelry back to him. "I can use some more cure spells for minor injuries."

"Nah, I'll be okay. I just feel like I was stampeded by a herd of chimeras."

"Well, welcome back." Rikku reached to hug his neck. "We were all really worried about you."

"Thanks." He returned the hug, then lifted his eyes to Paine and met her sad gaze. What could he say about his behavior under Shuyin's influence? She already carried so many scars because of the renegade spirit. "I am... so sorry."

"He did what he had to do to bring you back." She surprised him with a hug as well. "I'm just glad you're back to being _yourself_." Withdrawing, she gave Rikku's shoulder a subtle tap to indicate that they should give Yuna and Tidus some time alone. Rikku nodded and followed the warrior down the stairs.

Tidus snorted in light amusement. "Now, why can't they do that when I actually want some privacy?"

Yuna smiled at his attempt to joke, in spite of his discomfort. His countenance still betrayed his weariness, and she hated to bring it up, but there was no point in putting off inevitable questions. "_Are_ you still _you_?"

He wanted to say "yes" but knew there was no turning back from what had happened. "I know things now that I didn't before. Memories. I guess I have to admit I'm a little of both of us now."

She tried not to seem disappointed to hear that and returned a hopeful smile. "Well, you're back, and that's what matters."

He saw her worry behind the smile. Facing her as he had when they reunited on the beach of Besaid, he placed his hands on her arms and searched her eyes for signs of fear or disgust. "Am I still… okay?" he asked, unsure he wanted to hear her answer.

The question cut Yuna like a knife. "You're perfect," she whispered, raising a hand to his cheek. "I never meant to hurt you when I told Shuyin he wasn't good enough. I'm so sorry."

Eyes closing in relief, Tidus rested his head on her shoulder, and his arms encircled her waist. "I know you don't like him, but I can't really make him go away because... "

"Because he is a part of you." Yuna rested her ear against his golden head. "Wakka and Nooj were right. I was in denial because I was afraid of how he might change you. But I think I understand him better now."

"I can summon him if I need his magic. But, it will probably always put me at risk to let him take control enough to use it."

"Don't you dare use his magic again," she scolded but then paused. "But, he did save your life. I guess if you have to, I can always have my cure spells ready."

Tidus smiled and raised his head at her mixed reaction. He couldn't blame her for feeling that way. It had been a scary experience. "Life or death last resort, okay?"

"Okay." She seemed comforted by that condition. "Can I ask you something else?"

"Anything," he quietly agreed.

"There is one thing that still puzzles me. Shuyin said 'Tidus' was his nickname. Now that you have some of his memories..."

Tidus laughed with mild embarrassment. "It's a really stupid story."

"I'd like to hear it." She smiled with hope. "I thought it was your real name."

"Well, it is for _me_, anyway." Standing, he reached out his hand. "There's something I can show you that will help explain it - if it's still there."

She quirked a curious brow, took his hand, and rose with him.

))((

Tidus took Yuna out for a swim above and around the sunken ruins. "This was sector A-East. It's where I used to live. I can remember things like this now. That down there was a theater. And just behind it was a book store." He swam a little further, and Yuna followed. "This was my school and that building beside it... That's the library." He swam until he was treading water above the library.

Yuna was excited to hear how much he knew about this place now, and as she swam around the dome of the ancient library, she tried to see through the water to the crumbled building below. "This is the Zanarkand library? Do you think it has spheres in it?"

"Jackpot spheres! There's spheres on the Founders and Earth and everything. Not sure how many survived the explosions and collapse, but this is where we need to start digging if you want to fill your new memorial library with Spira's lost past."

Yuna laughed with delight and grinned so big that she nearly grew dimples the size of Rikku's. "When I asked you to show me your Zanarkand someday, I had no idea it would be as amazing as this."

He laughed with her at the memory of his promise. "Well, it's not exactly what I had in mind, but there is _one_ more place I want to show you." Turning away, he swam further out over the sunken city. Along the way, he rolled onto his back to see if she was keeping up. Then, diving under, he quickly swam beneath her and grabbed her ankle as a prank. When she dove under to try to pry her foot free, he darted away with a backward somersault, then opened his arms with a grin and waved at her to catch up before surfacing again.

Yuna broke the surface to find him chuckling at her.

"Come on, poky. It'll take us all day at the rate you're moving."

Normally, she would have fussed at him for going too fast and playing around too much, but this dolphin-like behavior was further indication that it really was him. Happy and grateful for that, she giggled and splashed a large spray of water in his face instead.

He squinted at his punishment, but then blinked the water away and grinned again. "Okay, we're going to have to go deep for this next one. So if you can't hold your breath, use your air supply. I'll try not to go so fast, but you have to keep up. There's a lot of wreckage down there, and it would be easy to get lost or trapped in it." Having said that, he drew a breath and dove under to lead the way.

Yuna decided to trust the blitzball skills she worked so hard to learn in his absence, to conserve her air pack on her back for an emergency. Following him, she swam closer to the large ghostly ruins shrouded in flickering rays of sunlight until they came to a maze of collapsed piers that trapped a sunken houseboat. She followed him through a broken window into the living room, where she was astonished to see a trunk full of spheres. Some had been scattered and crushed, but most looked whole.

Tidus looked over his shoulder to see how she was handling the depth so far, then he grinned and took her hand, leading her into the room at the back. There, he pointed to the keyboard, then released her hand and opened his arms with a dramatic swirl.

Yuna understood. This had been his home. Looking around at the horrible wreckage, she was glad he had not been here when it happened. She ran her fingers over the keyboard and accidentally knocked over a holograph of Lenne. It hurt a bit to see it, but when she picked it up to put it back, Tidus swam behind her, plucked it from her fingers, and tossed it behind him to give her a kiss. She started to laugh and indicated she needed her air tank now.

Shaking his head at her lack of iron lungs, he directed her attention to an Abe's portrait. Then, passing it to her, he dug through a pile of debris to find a couple more spheres and passed those to her as well. After one last look around what used to be his bedroom, he swam back into the living room and began collecting spheres that could be salvaged from the floor.

Yuna added the other two spheres to the trunk, then helped him collect as many as were worth saving. When she spotted one near a large, broken piece of furniture that might have been a sofa, she reached for it only to drop it again in shock when a pale hand fell on top of hers. Kyudou stared back at her from under the wreckage of his fight with Meimo, but there was no life there.

Tidus saw her sudden reaction and swam to her side to see the gruesome discovery for himself. Picking up the sphere she had dropped, he ushered her away from the body and placed the sphere in the trunk. Lifting the handle on one side, he indicated he was ready to go.

Yuna lifted the other handle, and together they transported the ancient spheres out of the houseboat toward the surface. Then, they struggled with towing it back to shore.

"Find anything good?" Rikku called as she ran to meet them at the water's edge.

Once they were ashore, they set the heavy, old chest down with a thud. It immediately fell apart, spilling its contents as if it were a harvest of large clams.

Rikku gasped as Yuna and Tidus fought to catch their breath. "Wow! Oh, wow! Wow!" She bounced with glee. "You found a whole bunch! Where did you find them?"

"My home," Tidus answered with a hint of pride. "And there's probably a lot more buried under the library."

"You found a library down there!"

"You never told me your home was a houseboat," Yuna said after removing her air tank.

"A houseboat?" Rikku picked up one of the spheres and polished it with her sleeve. "We never would have found all that! Guess it's a good thing Shuyin helped after all."

"And look!" Yuna showed Rikku the holographic portrait of the blitzball team. "The Zanarkand Abes! All of them!"

"Guess we'd better pop some popcorn, huh? We've got a lot of spheres to watch tonight!" Rikku grinned and elbowed Tidus.

Wincing at that idea, he took his sphere back from her. "No offense, Rikku, but... I'd like to watch them first and decide which ones to share. These aren't some stranger's memories this time. They're mine."

"Okay!" Rikku nodded, still excited about the discovery. "I'll go get something to carry them in," she offered before running back to the airship.

))((

Tidus straightened to stretch his sore arms when he spotted Nooj heading their way. "Kyaaaah," he complained. "I don't want to talk to him. He's going to knock me from here to Besaid after what happened this morning."

Yuna's brows rose at how different his reaction was from Shuyin's about meeting Nooj.

Nooj approached with his familiar limp, though he moved a little more slowly than normal, too. Ignoring Tidus, he nodded to Yuna and turned his attention to the collection of spheres spilled at their feet. "Looks like the fish are really biting."

Tidus lowered his gaze, not sure what to say. He still ached all over and carried numerous bruises from their unfortunate encounter, including the one on his jaw, but he chose to let the minor wounds heal naturally, figuring he deserved some discomfort for what Shuyin did to the meyvn.

"They're Tidus's spheres recovered from his home," Yuna announced. "He remembers where the Zanarkand library used to be and says there should be lots more spheres there. Oh, and... I don't think we have to worry about the Echo Alliance anymore. We found Kyudou's body."

"What about Meimo?" Nooj asked.

With furrowed brows, she looked to Tidus.

He shook his head and shrugged, so she shook her head, too.

"No unusually big fiends? Nothing? That's not good." Nooj panned the sea. "Meimo is the one with teleportation skills, so that means he could have escaped. And now we have no idea where to find him if he did. I'd better go warn Baralai."

"Do you want me to be the one to explain what happened?" Tidus knew that he could do a better job explaining the ordeal with Shuyin, even if it did mean having to tell Baralai that he was now able to summon the spirit that once possessed him.

"That might be best." Nooj paused for a minute. "Are you as sore as I am?"

Tidus looked up in surprise but then snorted. "Half of your body is made of built-in armor. I haven't hurt this bad since my first-ever blitzball training camp." He held up a fist to compare his flesh and bone hand to Nooj's machina.

"Yeah, but you only _think_ you feel pain, so that doesn't count." Nooj allowed himself a reluctant smile. "I _strongly suggest_ that you don't lay into me like that again. Truce?" He offered his hand.

Tidus accepted and shook on it. "Truce."

Rikku came running back with a laundry basket and set it down in front of the spilled spheres. As she and Yuna transferred the spheres into the basket, Rikku paused over one and started to touch the activation button.

Tidus swiped it away from her but then spoke to Nooj. "Ah, I'll be along in a minute."

Nooj nodded and walked away without him.

Rikku already had another sphere and was searching for the button to activate it.

"Cut it out!" Tidus grabbed the second sphere like the first. "That's private stuff in there."

"Oooh. You mean like embarrassing stuff?" She grinned.

"Stuff I shouldn't _have_ to show you. I don't read your diary, do I?"

"I don't keep a diary."

"What-_ever_! I don't go through your personal stuff, so don't go through mine."

Rikku leaned toward Yuna as they deposited more spheres into the basket. "He probably just doesn't want us to see any naked baby pictures."

"Shut up already!" Tidus threw a piece of seaweed from the trunk at her, but then a smirk broke through his frown. "Just help me get them inside without breaking them, okay?"

))((

The next morning, Tidus rapped a knuckle against the door frame of Wakka's small hut and peered between the breezy curtains to call for him.

Wakka had been lying on the floor, trying to keep cool in the summer heat when he heard the familiar voice. Immediately rolling over and pulling himself to his feet, the large man reached for the curtain and jerked it open. "You're back! How'd you come back? Why didn't you tell someone you were back!"

"That's... what I'm doing right now," Tidus answered before he was crushed in a strong hug. He was used to Wakka's rough handling, but his body was still sore this time. Upon being released, he made a pained face and put a hand to his abdomen and chest, only to be pulled into another hug by Lulu. Fortunately, Lulu's hug was less brutal.

"Welcome back - again." She smiled warmly as she drew back in disbelief. "What happened? We thought you were gone for sure this time."

"It was a teleportation spell." Tidus proceeded to explain as much as he could about what had happened after he and Wakka were separated before the game.

"Wow. You've been through a lot, ya? The game was called after that because of the mob situation," Wakka informed him. "They might reschedule it, but the officials are going to want to talk to you if they see that you're back."

"Think they'll still let me play?"

"You didn't do anything wrong, but if they still think you're unsent..."

"Yeah, I know." Tidus sighed. "Hey, I got a favor to ask." Stepping outside of the tent, he returned seconds later, carrying the laundry basket full of spheres.

"What's that? Don't tell me you're moving in with us. Living with three women finally drove you crazy, ya?" He chuckled, but then caught Lulu's questioning expression. "Ah, not that living with that one, special woman of your dreams would ever cause a man to go insane."

Folding her arms at her chest, Lulu approved of his effort to correct himself. Then, she returned to where she had been changing Vidina.

"They hog the shower, stick their noses into my business, and steal the food right off my plate," Tidus answered the question anyway. "Rikku never shuts up, and Paine is always kicking my butt just to prove she can. And they leave lacy-stringy things hanging around that I really don't need to see if you know what I mean."

Wakka chuckled at Tidus's complaints and accepted Vidina from Lulu, propping the baby over his shoulder while she cleaned up the baby supplies. "What about Yuna?"

"She steals my blanket and worries too much about her hair."

"Why don't you move out?"

"Because… they're family now, you know? Like us when we traveled together before, on our way to defeat Sin. It's warped, but it works for me because I never had that kind of thing until I came here."

"Well, don't look at us to start doing your laundry," Lulu cooly warned as she eyed the basket.

"Oh, it's not laundry." Tidus set the basket down and pulled the protective blanket back to show them the memory spheres.

"Suuuuwaaaa." Wakka crouched in admiration for a better look. "That many? Where'd you get all these?"

"They're mine. I found my old home in Zanarkand, and I'd like to review them. But I don't really have a private place to do that on the airship."

Wakka chuckled deeply. "You don't want the girls seeing _nekkid_ baby things, ya?"

"Would you people stop saying that? Maybe I just have stuff I don't want everyone to see, okay?"

"Like _nekkid_ baby things."

Tidus rolled his eyes.

"Here, hold this." Wakka passed Vidina into Tidus's hands and pulled Lulu aside to speak with her in hushed tones.

Tidus's eyes widened at the baby boy he held at arm's length. "Uh... Wakka?" Whatever they were talking about, they both seemed to be in agreement.

When they were done whispering, Wakka approached Tidus again. "Okay. You can use our place to watch your spheres in private. Just keep an eye on Vidina for us while we go check something out, okay? We'll come back for him, and then we'll spend the rest of the day in Luca, so you can have as much time as you need."

"But... I don't know anything about babies. What do I do if he cries?"

"It will only be a few minutes."

Wakka held the curtain open for Lulu to leave the hut, then he paused and returned to Tidus, lowering his voice. "Hey, uh, about those women issues… If you ever need, you know, older brotherly advice -"

"No!" Tidus quickly answered. "I've already had that lecture three times!"

"Three?"

"My old man, Auron, and Cid."

"Cid!" Wakka laughed out loud. "Okay, well, I'm here for you, all right?" He gave him a slap on the back. "Neither of us has fathers, so we gotta look out for each other." With a grin, he exited the tent behind Lulu.

Tidus sighed, relieved to have escaped a fourth lecture on girls. "Looks like it's just you and me, kid." Sitting down cross-legged on the floor, he set the baby in his lap, then reached to the basket for a sphere. "No dirtying diapers while I'm in charge, okay?"

Vidina cooed in response and grabbed the sphere into his mouth.

"Uwaaa..." Tidus made a face. "Don't slobber my spheres. So gross. No drooling, either. That's very uncool. No girl is ever going to want to kiss you until you learn to control that." Drawing the sphere away from the baby's grasp, however, he considered the number of women that snuggled, hugged, and kissed the baby when Lulu brought him out. "On second thought, you might have the right idea."

Vidina reached for the sphere again and began to get cranky about being denied the interesting new object. His crankiness easily turned into a cry.

"Aw, man. No crying, either. See, I told them you would cry!" He looked around the room for something that might pacify the baby, but then gave up and held the sphere in front of him again. "Look! Ssshh. Watch what it does." Pulling Vidina into a semi-seated position, he touched the activation button.

It was a sphere of Jecht practicing his notorious shot in the ocean with some of his teammates. Tidus stared at the man with mixed emotions. He was just as he remembered - loud, crass, and obnoxious. But, in all fairness, he knew things now he didn't know then. As the baby continued to wail above the recorded sound, Tidus turned off the sphere and lifted the baby to his shoulder. "You know what? You just go ahead and cry, little man, all right? I can't blame you for being ticked off at them for leaving you with me."


	26. Chapter 26: Mixed Messages

Chapter 26: Mixed Messages

Later that afternoon, after Wakka took his family to Luca for the day, Tidus finished viewing all of his spheres. He sorted them into piles and returned to the airship for some small containers to bring back to Wakka's hut. While he was there, he asked Yuna to help him pack them, and she was more than happy to follow along.

"Okay, these are the ones that will never see the light of day again." He dumped them into a trash sack, not caring if they cracked and spilled their precious memory fluid.

Yuna gasped as if he had been cracking golden eggs. "You mean there's _nothing_ useful in them?"

"Nothing that I can't live without." He drew the next pile to himself. "These are the ones that we can let everyone else see. Some of my old man's best games are in here. Some of my games are in here, and there's also a bunch of festival events and com cast programs - everything from news to movies. We can donate them to the library."

"I can hardly wait to see them!" Yuna helped him place them carefully in a small chest. "Why is this one marked?" She held up one he had flagged with a piece of tape.

"That one goes to Kimahri. It has the Zanarkand library in it, inside and out. It's not much, but I remember enough now that I can probably tell him more about what he needs to know."

Tidus pushed the chest aside and drew the third pile to himself. It was smaller, but he paused over them before explaining. "These are the personal ones. I'm keeping these. But you can have these two... if you want them. If you don't, this one can go to the library, and the other can go in the trash."

Yuna tilted her chin in curiosity, both at his tone and the fact that he was offering them to her.

"This one first." With a smile, he offered the one in his right hand.

Yuna touched the activation button for the one he recommended. Then she drew a breath of surprise. "Lenne in concert?"

"You wanted a music sphere from a time when Zanarkand enjoyed things like concerts. This is Lenne, but I'm sure the library has others. You can use it for your own concert and then donate it if you want."

"It's perfect! Thank you so much." Turning off the sphere, she gave his neck a hug and planted a kiss on his cheek.

Tidus responded with a small, uncertain smile. "Don't thank me yet. You might not be so happy after you see the other one."

Yuna accepted the sphere from his left hand and hesitantly activated it.

_ Shuyin and Lenne sat shoulder-to-shoulder at the keyboard in his room, and she was kissing his ear as he tried to play a song._

_ "Cut it out." He tucked his ear to his shoulder and tried to avoid laughing at the ticklish sensation. "I'm trying to concentrate."_

_ Soft, feminine chuckles ... "Okay. I'll behave."_

_ "Okay. Ready?"_

_"I'm listening."_

_He began to carefully play the haunting melody that he penned himself and committed to memory. Every note had to be just right. No mistakes._

_ "Wow, that's really good. No, it's more than good - it's beautiful." Lenne wrapped her arms around his waist and leaned against him with a contented sigh as he continued playing. "Can I have it?"_

_ He chuckled at the request. "No. You have enough songs; this one's mine."_

_ "But you'll never play this for anyone else. You're too shy. And then it will be wasted, just like all those years of piano lessons."_

_ "Hey, those lessons weren't my idea. If my mom had her way, I'd be playing classical concerts instead of blitzball. I'm just trying to salvage something useful from all those hours of banging my head, more than my fingers, against the keyboard."_

_ "Well, I think you should be proud of this."_

_"I am."_

_"Then share it with more people. You've got a real gift here. But, I guess it's also kinda nice to see you shy about something... for once." She grinned._

_ He glanced at her without pausing the song. "What's that supposed to mean?"_

_ "You're such a humble soul." She laughed as soon as she said it._

_He smirked, tolerating the joke at his expense._

_"So, what did you name it?"_

_ "I haven't yet. Guess I'll name it when I feel inspired."_

_ "And then you'll let me have it, and I can add lyrics and sing it at my concert."_

_ He laughed. "No."_

_ "Please?" She leaned in and kissed his ear once more._

_ He tilted his ear toward his shoulder and chuckled again at her bribery. "Nope."_

_ "Please," she repeated with a grin, leaning in front of him to kiss his lips instead._

_ "Nh-nh," he denied one more time. But as the kiss lingered, his hand reached blindly for the memory sphere, groping to turn it off. The sphere slipped from the back of the keyboard and wedged next to the wall at a precarious tilt. "Damn," he muttered. "Why do I always do that?" Then, it hit the floor and blinked off._

Yuna stared at the memory sphere as if it were still playing. She had known the song that she fell in love with was Shuyin's song, but it evoked an entirely different feeling watching him play it for Lenne.

Tidus leaned around her with caution, trying to read her expression.

"You... remember being with her... don't you?" Yuna guessed.

"Yeah," he reluctantly admitted.

Yuna tried not to show how much it hurt to know that. "Why did you want me to see this?"

"I knew how much you liked the song, so when I remembered it was in a sphere, I thought I'd see if you wanted it before I trashed it. A thousand years later, and I still don't have a clue what to call it. That's why I couldn't remember the title. That's why you'll never find any spheres of it except this one."

Yuna knew he hadn't meant to insult her by showing her the sphere, but… "I'm having a hard time with this," she confessed. "Her picture was in a locker with your name on it. Her picture was on a keyboard you remembered playing, and you wrote that song for her. Now, you remember being close to her, and I don't really want to know _how_ close. I like Lenne, and I'm not normally a jealous person. I know she's long gone. It's just that..." Yuna considered her feelings and tried to reason a way through them. "She was supposed to be with Shuyin, not you. And I know you're not exactly the same person he was, but if you can remember how he felt about her..." She wiped the corner of her eye, refusing to cry over something that shouldn't have upset her.

After a moment of contemplative silence, he said, "That song wasn't written for her."

She looked up at him, surprised.

"It wasn't written for anyone." He shrugged. "Except maybe me. It's just something I heard in my head, and I wanted to see if I could make a real song out of it."

"But… won't you always think of her when you play it?"

"Not always. In fact, probably not much. I have new messages now."

She had no idea what he meant by that.

"I didn't want to play the song for you before because I was afraid that if it awakened old feelings for her, I might lose myself in him. But now, I have a better sense of who I am because I know for sure how different we are. I remember feeling what he felt, but my feelings are _mine_. And he can't take that away. Ever. Maybe I used to be him, but I know now that he can never be me."

Her brows still rose with worry. "Then tell me I'm being silly?"

A small smile curled his lips. "You're not being silly. But I knew you before I remembered her. In my mind, you will always be first." He paused and made a face at his own logic. "That didn't make sense, did it?"

"It makes wonderful sense." Leaning forward, she kissed him. "Can I have it?"

"What? The sphere?"

"The song."

"You want me to give you my song?" He acted offended. "_My_ song that I worked so hard on and managed to keep to myself for a thousand years? The _only_ song I have? I didn't give it to her. What makes you think I'll give it to you. I can't just give away something like that." But when he was able to make her laugh, he easily shrugged. "Yeah, okay, you can have it."

"Can I call it my song?"

"I suppose."

"Will you play it for me whenever I want to hear it?"

"Well, if it's your song, then, technically, you should play it."

"I don't know how."

He gave a light laugh. "Well, then you have a problem, don't you?"

She grinned at his teasing. "What if I call it 'Tidus's Song'? Then, you have to play it for me."

"No, because then it's my song, and I can do whatever I want with it again."

Yuna laughed and gave him a light elbow in the ribs for being contrary on purpose. Then, she looked back down at the sphere in her hands and sighed. "Well, I think you should keep this. It will probably never be one of my favorites, but it's a good memory for you. And, you shouldn't pretend your past never happened. It's part of who you are. Besides, I didn't realize until I was given the sphere of your sending that the only sphere I have of you is the one you left behind before we fought Sin."

Tidus's eyes widened, and he scratched his head, embarrassed. "Oh, that. I kinda forgot all about that one. I guess I should throw that into the sea, too, huh?"

"No. No, I treasure it. But, I guess I get so caught up in hunting the past that I keep forgetting to record the present. Would you let me make my own memory sphere of you playing that song?"

He cringed at the idea. "Playing for a sphere is like playing in front of an audience."

"Please?" She gave him her best big-eyed kitten face.

"Well, you're being civil enough to not throw the sphere at me, so okay. But only one sphere. And no concerts!"

"No concerts." Yuna happily gave the song sphere back to him. Then, she noticed the other spheres in his personal stash. "Are… all of these about Shuyin and Lenne?"

"Nah, the others are personal because of the other people in them - my mom, the Abes, my friends. I thought I made some of Auron and me, but I guess that part of what I remember wasn't real. Not until I came out of the dream, at least. I would have liked to have at least one sphere of him." He saddened a little.

"I still have the ones with him and my father," she offered in consolation. "And those spheres have our fathers together with him."

Happy to hear that, he set another sphere in front of Yuna.

"And what's this?" she asked.

"The sphere that will explain where my name came from." But he pointed a finger of warning at her. "No laughing, okay? I mean it. I wouldn't be caught dead showing this to anyone if you hadn't asked about it."

Yuna grinned expectantly and touched the activation button.

_ The sun shone brightly above the beach's rolling, white-capped waves. A blitzball rolled across the shore in the sphere's field of view. The wind pushed it toward the sand, only for the tide to pull it back toward the sea. A child's laughter could be heard, and within seconds a very young boy with sun-bronzed skin and scruffy, sun-streaked hair ran after the ball. "Watch this trick, Mama! Watch this trick!" He grabbed the ball from the water with both hands and attempted to hold the bulky thing to his tummy in one hand, while he hitched his somewhat-too-big shorts back up to his tan line with the other._

Yuna covered her mouth with both hands and tried not to laugh.

Tidus rested his arms on his knees, then buried his head with a groan, already regretting letting her see it.

_ "I'm watching," a woman off-screen assured the little tyke. "Going to do a trick shot?"_

_ "What trick?" a man's gruff voice asked with sarcastic amusement. "It's the same kick every time, and most of the time he misses the ball."_

_ The woman chuckled. "He's just trying to be like you."_

_ "That may be, but he takes after your side of the family - a natural-born klutz."_

_ "He's three. All three-year-olds are klutzes."_

_ The boy set down the ball and placed his hands on his hips. "Are you even watching me?" he scolded his parents with a serious frown. _

_ His mother giggled. "I'm sorry, Shu. We're watching. Go ahead."_

_ The ambitious tyke bent to pick up the ball again. "I'm going to do a Jecht shot!"_

_ "Which one?" The out-of-view man played along._

_ The boy looked at his fingers and held up two. "Four," he announced._

_ The off-screen man snickered softly. "There is no four!" he fussed back at the boy._

_ "Two." The boy corrected, holding up the same two fingers again._

_ The man chuckled. "There is no two!" The child looked utterly confused about how this numbering system worked, and the expression on his face made the man laugh even harder._

Yuna's snickers turned into a snort as she fell sideways to the floor, laughing.

Tidus shook his head at his own humiliation but resisted the urge to turn the sphere off.

_ "Never mind, boy! Just do the kick! Remember, high into the sky!"_

_ "High into the sky!" The mop-haired little guy ran toward the water and tossed the ball into the air as high as he could. But he was momentarily blinded by the sun and had to cover his head as the ball came back down on top of him. "The sun's in my eyes," he complained._

_ "Oh for the love of ... Uncover that head! Send the ball up there to meet it!" his dad coached. "Come on now! Sky-high!"_

_ The persistent little waif reached for his ball once more and turned his back to the sun and the ocean. "Sky-high!" Tossing the ball high into the air again, he watched it come down, then scrunched up his face and hopped up to meet it. "Tidaaa!" he proudly called out as he did a rather impressive volley with his head to keep it aloft. "Tidaaa!" he called out as he did another and tried hard to bump it higher. "Tii-daaaa!" His third volley was followed by an attempt to kick up into a spin to complete the notorious shot like his father, but as his feet left the ground, a large wave slammed into his small body from behind. The ball landed safely on the water's surface, but the boy was dragged under and disappeared from sight._

_ "Oh my god! Jecht!" His mother panicked, almost dropping the sphere._

_ Jecht was already in the ocean, snatching the boy out of the powerful undertow. A few minutes later, he brought him back to the sand, safely out of the tide's reach. The boy coughed up the water he'd inhaled and clung to his dad's shorts. He was shaking with fear and started to cry. "One too many 'tidaas' there kiddo!" Jecht laughed. The blitzball pro then looked to the woman holding the sphere and recounted the incident with a humorous gesture. "Tidaaa - slam! Flattened by a knee-deep tidal wave!" He laughed again. "See! Your side of the family!" he pointed to his wife._

_ Upset that his dad had laughed at his misfortune and fear, the boy ran to his mother._

_ "It's okay, baby. It's okay." She comforted him with a kiss to his forehead and sighed with relief that he was safe. "Jecht, he could have drowned," she scolded her husband for his teasing._

_ Jecht continued to chuckle. "Oh, stop coddling him. He's all right. Just got some water up his nose. He'll be a mini-tidal wave himself one of these days. He'll own the whole damn sphere pool if he ever figures out that shot instead of crying about it."_

_ The boy's small face turned away from his father directly toward the memory sphere at his mother's side. As his azure eyes blinked at the sphere, he sniffled and coughed some more._

_ "King Tidus of the blitzball arena, right? King Tidus of the sun and the waves," Jecht added with another laugh, as his strong hand settled on the small boy's head and scruffed his wet hair._

_ His mother used a sympathetic touch to smooth the wild, wet hair back into place. "It didn't feel very funny, did it."_

_ The boy shook his head and fingered the edge of the sphere a bit as he sniffled._

_ "That was a pretty big wave. Why don't you show us your trick later when the wind dies down a bit, okay? Then you can show him who's king." She gave him a small wink._

_ The boy sniffled again. Wiping a small fist over his eyes and runny nose to rid himself of the last of his tears, he lay his head against her arm. "Okay."_

_ His mother's hand reached for the sphere and turned it off._

Yuna shifted her gaze toward Tidus with a slow grin.

"Here it comes," he muttered.

"That was so cuuuuuuute!" she squealed, giving him an appreciative hug for sharing.

He tolerated the reaction but shook his head in disbelief that he had shown it to her. "When he started calling me 'Tidus' nearly everyone else did, too - when they weren't calling me 'Jecht Jr.,' that is. King of the Waves! That's me!" He puffed out his chest with comic pride and folded his hands behind his head, but then he chuckled. "No one knew it was because I nearly drowned trying to do his stupid trick shot."

"What a sweet little face you had! How old were you again? Three?" Yuna held up two fingers.

"At least I didn't sneeze like a squatter monkey when I got water up my nose," he returned with a laugh.

"Ah!" Yuna grabbed a pillow from behind them on the floor of the tent.

Tidus covered his head with his arms just in time to protect himself from the fluffy missile.

"Just for that remark, I'm keeping this one," she declared, hands-on-hips.

"No, no, no, no!" He tried to grab the sphere, but she snatched it first.

Holding the sphere close, she braced another pillow against him to keep him away. "But it's so cute! Rikku and Paine would _love_ to see this one."

"Don't you dare show that to anyone else!" Knocking the pillow away, he reached for the sphere again.

She quickly scooted beyond his reach and slipped the sphere behind her back. At the same time, she used another pillow-shield to keep him at arm's length. "Not even Wakka?"

"Are you crazy? Especially not Wakka!" He pulled the pillow away, rose to his knees, and caught her around the waist with one arm while reaching behind her back for the sphere with the other.

Yuna cried out with a laugh as she tried to evade the tackle. "Stop! You're going to make me drop it and break it!"

Amused and surprised at her ability to switch the small thing between hands while twisting to keep it away from his clutches, Tidus started laughing, too. Then, just when he almost had it, she scrambled completely out of his reach and dropped the sphere down the front of her gun mage halter. Tidus gasped as if she'd done the unthinkable. "What'd you do that for?" he complained.

Still giggling, Yuna stuck her tongue out at him in a very Rikku-like manner. "I told you. I'm keeping this one." She punctuated her defiance by folding her arms across her chest.

Switching tactics, Tidus sat back on his heels with a more suave demeanor. "Oh, and you think _that's_ going to stop me from taking it?"

She quirked a brow at him. "It had _better_ stop you from taking it." Maintaining a smug smile, she pushed up from her knees to stand.

"Oh no you don't." Tidus crawled over the scattered pillows and grasped her ankle to prevent her from leaving. Yuna laughed as she plopped back down onto the straw floor mat, but as he drew near on his hands and knees, he grinned with mischief and kissed her. First her cheek, then her lips, her neck, her ear ...

Yuna bent her head against his to counter his tactics. "That's cheating!" she loudly complained, enjoying every minute of his attention.

"No, in the first blitzball game on the beach after I came back, you called flirting a tactical distraction and said it was okay. _This_ is cheating." Tilting his head the other way, he brushed his lips over hers. As Yuna melted into a_ real_ kiss and slipped a hand beneath his hairline to draw him closer, he lifted the hem between her neck and shoulder and smoothly extracted the sphere. The kiss was disrupted by her laughter, though, and she caught the thieving hand before he could remove the coveted prize from her reach.

"That is so wrong! Did you honestly think I wouldn't notice those sneaky little fingers -"

"Ah, come on! Do you realize how bad everyone's going to rag me if they see that sphere?"

Still laughing, Yuna stood and made her way to the door.

))((

Tidus groaned in disgust at his defeat and let his head drop onto his arms on one of the throw pillows. He was doomed. Then, unexpectedly, he heard the storm door to the hut slide shut and lock. When he looked back up, Yuna tucked the sphere under the bottom hem of her halter, snug against her ribs.

"Guess you'll just have to keep trying to get it back." She gave him a shy smile.

Tidus blinked in mute surprise, but then shifted to a cross-legged, seated position and leaned back against the tea-table. "Okay, that's way too easy. What's the catch?"

"No catch. No Rikku or Paine. No Tobli. Just us. But I'll warn you I have ulterior motives." Kneeling before him, she kissed his nose.

He gazed into her forest green and sea blue eyes for a moment. Unable to choose which color he liked better, he decided both colors fascinated him the most. "Well, in that case, this will only get in the way." With an impish smirk, he drew the sphere from the waist of her halter and flicked it aside. Then, he leaned forward, coaxing her into another kiss, this time pushing gently against her until she wrapped her arms around his neck and sank to the floor beneath him.


	27. Chapter 27: Summoning the Key

Chapter 27: Summoning the Key

"Hey, you!" Wakka knocked on the storm door of his own hut. "It's getting late, and I got a sleepy kid that needs to be put to bed, ya? Open up!"

Yuna opened the door, greeting Wakka and Lulu with a friendly smile. "Welcome back. We were just cleaning up the last of the spheres. Did you have fun in Luca?" She held out her hands, wanting a turn holding Vidina, and Lulu was glad to give him up for a few minutes to give her shoulder a rest.

"Uh?" Wakka was surprised to see Yuna and looked past her to where Tidus was picking up the last of the pillows and replacing them.

"It was a beautiful day," Lulu answered her. "We ate at the cafe, caught a game, walked along the docks, played sphere break ... We bought Vidina a balloon, but he didn't know what to do with it yet, so we ended up letting another little boy have it. Oh, and Wakka spoke to the blitz officials for Tidus." She stepped past Yuna to speak with him. "He told them you were back and filled them in on that summoner's dirty trick. They said you were cleared to play if you want, but some fans might protest still."

Tidus accepted that and looked to Wakka. "Thanks. I guess you can warn your abs that we'll start practice again tomorrow then." He gave the larger man's stomach a pat.

"Did you have time to watch all of your spheres?" Lulu placed her baby bag on the floor and lifted a stray sphere with a puzzled expression. "If not, you can come back tomorrow."

"Nah, I had plenty of time." Tidus picked up the basket he had brought the spheres in, but then saw Lulu handling the one he nearly forgot. Immediately, he set the basket back down and hopped over it to snatch it back. "Kinda private," he apologized for his rudeness and tucked it away in the chest within the basket he carried.

Lulu quirked a brow at his abrupt save and glanced at Wakka with a smirk as she laid out a diaper changing pad. "I think you were right about the naked baby stuff."

Tidus became indignant but noticed that Yuna was biting her lip, debating whether to tell them what was really on that sphere. Removing the baby from her arms, he passed him back to Lulu and gave Yuna the bag of junk spheres, instead. "We'd better be going now."

Yuna laughed at his attempt to get rid of her before she could tattle about the "Tiidaaa" sphere, but he was right. It was getting late. She started toward the door when a smaller sphere under the tea table caught her eye. "Oh, wait. Did we watch this one?" She crouched to slide it out from the table and look for a label. "It looks recently made."

"Oh, that's the one Meimo and Kyudou gave me when they drop-kicked me into the Via Infinito to talk to Spira."

Yuna touched the activation button, and Wakka and Lulu drew near in curiosity to watch it with her.

"Woah. Creepy." Wakka drew back when the entire sphere had played through to the finish. "So, that's the chick that runs the whole... ship? It still feels weird to think of Spira as a machina rather than a real world, especially since Yevon banned all machina. What a two-faced thing to do, ya?"

"Yeah, but... don't let word get around in public, yet," Tidus reminded them. "If someone tries to send Spira, the way they tried to send me, all of us could be in trouble. She chose to become the ship's life force, so we have to help her keep it that way."

"You should take this to Baralai," Yuna told Tidus. "He has other spheres of Spira."

"Maybe tomorrow after practice." He took it from her to place with Kimahri's sphere.

"Wait a minute. Can I see it again?" Yuna asked. "Part of what she said makes no sense to me."

Tidus handed it back to her, and Yuna replayed the ghost's words with careful consideration.

_ "That sphere is a key that could unlock all the worlds I've seen, including the planet of our origin. But we cannot go back to where we came from - not ever. The Founders seek to destroy us. They fear what we have done. Our abyssal shame bears witness to our deeds, yet hides it from them." Her black eyes gazed deep into his soul. "No one else must find those maps, because there are those who hunger only for the power it could give them."_

"You mean the line about abyssal shame?" Lulu asked.

"Yes," Yuna answered. "I know she's probably talking about her shame in using magic on the ship, but... it sounds odd the way she chose to say it like that."

"It's a coded message," Lulu agreed. "She was trying to tell Tidus something without being overheard."

"She was?" He scratched the back of his head, feeling awkward for missing it. "I'm... not really good at picking up hints."

Yuna gave a light laugh. "No, you're not, are you?"

"But all she's saying is that the Founders didn't want the Farplane on the ship... right?"

"Abyssal shame... bears witness... and hides it... Abyssal shame hides it. ...Our shame..." Yuna suddenly whirled on Tidus with open-mouthed shock. "I know where she hid the travel log! She did the same thing Seymour did! She buried it with someone she loved! Baralai really needs to see this!"

"Hey! Woah! We can't just fly off to Bevelle tonight." Taking the sphere, he turned it off and returned it to the basket next to Kimahri's. Then he picked up the basket. "It's late. Tomorrow, okay?"

"Okay, but do you realize what that means? It means Spira trusted you to help guard it."

He drew back with doubt. "She did?"

Yuna moved behind Lulu to kiss Vidina's sleepy little face as he sucked his thumb. "I'm really going this time. Goodnight."

"Goodnight." Lulu smiled and gave the baby a small bounce, as Wakka escorted both of them outside.

"I'll catch up with you in a minute," Tidus told Yuna.

"Okay. Goodnight." Yuna smiled and waved to Wakka before walking toward the village gates.

"Thanks for talking to the officials for me." Tidus shifted the weight of the basket in his arms. "And thanks for giving me the space to do this."

"No problem. You going to let us see any of those?" Wakka grinned.

"I might." Tidus drew back jokingly as if having to think about it first. Then, he leaned forward and lowered his volume. "Hey, I don't suppose you'd consider, uh, ... letting me borrow some space again later this week?"

"What, so you can make out on my floor again? Don't tell me you didn't, because I'm not stupid, ya? Storm door locked, pillows all over the place... I ain't running no love shack for you, man." He smacked the back of Tidus's head.

Tidus laughed and rubbed the back of his head. "Hey, I just wanted to watch my spheres in peace. She's the one who locked the door and insisted on having her way with me."

"Yuna came onto you? _Yuna_?" Wakka laughed out loud. "That's not even close to believable."

"It's true! I didn't do anything this time."

"Yeah, _right_! You're not even a good liar. And just for that, the only way you're going to persuade me to let you borrow the tent again is if you're offering to babysit."

"Uh, no. I'm only offering to house-sit."

"Nah, I think I heard the word 'babysit' somewhere in there."

"Then, I think you're losing your hearing, old man."

"Then, you need to get your own house, brat."

Tidus laughed at Wakka's teasing, but his gaze drifted back to Yuna as the distance and path carried her beyond his line of vision. "Nah, I kinda like being part of the crew for now. Maybe someday when I get tubby and want to retire… like you."

"Hey, hey. I'm working on it. Get off my back." Wakka rubbed his stomach and sucked in his gut, proud of his progress on getting back in shape so far. "Say, you know what? Lu and I were talking this morning, and we think we got an idea you might like."

))((

As Yuna walked back to the airship, happily humming to herself, she wondered if Shinra could convert any of the unbroken spheres in the sack into dress spheres. She wished she had thought of that in time to stop Tidus from dumping them in such a reckless manner.

After having watched the personal sphere regarding his nickname, they had watched a few others. He had chosen mostly animated moments with friends and family - spheres that felt more like who he was now, rather than who he was then. With time affecting subtle things like looks and behavior, he really was more like Shuyin's younger brother. Then again, maybe his existence was something she would never fully grasp. She didn't care to cross-examine it anymore.

She was looking up at the stars and reminiscing with a smile when her arm was grabbed roughly from behind. Startled, she dropped the bag of spheres and tried to draw her mage gun, but a sleep spell had already been cast over her. Her abductor caught her in his arms before she hit the ground, then both vanished.

))((

On his way back to the airship, Tidus saw the dropped bag of spheres in the road. He crouched to inspect and pick them up, but... where was Yuna? He called her name a few times and searched the area, but in the darkness of night, he saw no immediate trace. Snatching up the spheres, he ran back to the village and pounded on Wakka's hut. "Don't go to bed yet! Wakka, we need to search the area! Something's happened to Yuna!"

Wakka's threw open the curtains. "What?"

"The spheres she was carrying were all dropped in the middle of the road. Something's happened to her!"

"Okay, don't panic. I'll round up some people and torches. Go tell the ship's crew. See if she went there."

Tidus nodded and raced down the road back toward the airship. The Gullwings crew had not seen her return, but they joined the rest of the volunteers searching the island.

Yuna was nowhere to be found. The search continued until sunrise but turned up nothing.

Tidus returned to his futon and sat down, feeling completely empty. He had failed as her guardian when she needed him the most. Lowering his head in frustration, he grasped his hair between his fingers as his eyes fell on the spheres that she carried. She'd vanished without a trace. _Without a trace... _ The body of the teleporting summoner had not been found. "Meimo," he growled beneath his breath.

Ransacking his collection of spheres for the one that Meimo and Kyudou had forced upon him, Tidus played back what Spira said to him. He tried hard to think the way Yuna would when looking for clues, but what had Yuna understood that he missed?

"Rikku! Paine!" He hurried down the stairs to where the two women sat at the bar, resting from their all-night search. "I think Meimo teleported Yuna to the Farplane."

"Meimo?" Rikku lifted her head from resting on her arms. "What would Meimo want with Yuna?"

Tidus set the sphere on the bar. "Revenge? The maps? Both? We never found his body, so it's a possibility, isn't it? Before Yuna left, she said she knew where the maps were hidden. I think the abyss that Spira mentioned is the Farplane's Abyss. Yuna thought Spira buried the travel log with someone she loved… like how Seymour buried his sphere with his mother. But how are we supposed to know who she loved and lost during her lifetime? We could go back to the Via Infinito and ask, but by then, it might be too late for Yuna!"

Paine and Rikku exchanged looks of surprise. Tidus was closer to solving the mystery than he realized. "Baralai showed us a sphere that contains footage of Maedra and Spira entombing their baby in the Farplane's Abyss," Paine told him.

"Maedra was Guado, so Spira's father disapproved of him and was ashamed of the baby," Rikku recalled, then gasped. "Meimo has nabbed Yunie to make her summon the baby's aeon! The baby's aeon must be guarding the maps!" Rikku jumped out of her seat and grabbed Tidus's wrists. "We have to go to the Farplane!"

"But I can't go to the Farplane!"

"No, but we can." Paine stood with a grim expression. "Contact Baralai about what's happened. He might have some ideas on how to interrupt Meimo's teleporting magic so that he doesn't get away again."

Tidus nodded, desperate to do something.

"Let's use Brother's shortcut," Paine suggested to Rikku, then the two of them ran down the hall to the lift.

Tidus headed to the bridge and told Shinra to contact Baralai in Bevelle. As soon as Baralai appeared on the screen, Tidus informed him of the situation.

"And you say Rikku and Paine are already on their way?"

"They left using a teleporter we left behind the first time we went," Shinra informed him.

Baralai was thoughtful for a moment. "Gippal and Nooj both happen to be lodging here in Bevelle because of the stuff going on with the Machine Faction and the set up for the Echo Alliance trials. I'll give them a wake-up call, and everyone can meet there."

))((

Yuna found herself lying among the flowers of the Farplane's Abyss when she woke from the sleep spell. Sitting up, she looked around to find that her only companion was a very angry, very disarrayed, fellow summoner. "Meimo." She glared at him with contempt—something she rarely did, but that was becoming more frequent with him. "Why did you bring me here?" she demanded.

His sharp, green eyes narrowed on her. "I think you know why. We both figured out where Spira hid her travel log by reviewing what she said to your guardian. Kyudou and I saw her other spheres before we were excommunicated from New Yevon, but we never would have put the clues together if she had not been willing to speak to your unsent boyfriend. Yes, I know it was horrible to use him like that, but who doesn't use other people for their own needs now and then?" Drawing near, he grabbed her arm and pulled her to her feet. "Some of us are just less sugar-coated about it than the rest of you."

She fumed upon realizing he had been spying on them at Wakka's hut. Struggling to pull away, she reached for her weapon only to find it had been removed, along with her garment grid. "So, this is your way of taking revenge on him?"

"No, that is merely a side benefit. Tidus actually did me a favor by killing off Kyudou. Now I'm in charge of the Echo Alliance, and I will revive it as soon as you summon that aeon for the map."

"Why can't you summon it?"

"I think you have a better chance of calling it back from its grave. You are, after all, the only high summoner to make it all the way to the final aeon's tomb during your pilgrimage to fight Sin and live to tell about it. And this baby was not human. Its father was the same powerful guado summoner who sealed it." Meimo pulled her to a place where he had dug the flowers completely away from a large, flat stone—the tomb of Spira's child. "Summon the aeon, Yuna. Summon it so I can have the travel log, or I will hunt your so-called guardian until there's nothing left of him to hunt. I can still send him, you know. When he least expects it, I can take him back to the Via Infinito or bring him here. How long do you think he'll last among these pyreflies? I might not even have to waste time and energy on a sending dance."

Yuna couldn't bear the thought of losing Tidus again, so she decided to give Meimo what he wanted, for now. New Yevon, the Gullwings, and the Machine Faction could launch another manhunt for him after she was free.

Though it had been a long time since she had summoned any aeons, Yuna approached the sealed tomb and knelt over its surface. This child was not a Fayth. This child was not completely human. And this child had died before even learning a language. What if it did not hear or understand her prayers? Yuna performed the initial magic, drawing the summoning circle and glyphs at her feet around the sealed tomb, but it was not enough. Closing her eyes, she tried to sense the child's spirit wandering near its tomb but felt nothing. She had to reach further. What was the child's name? Spira had cried out her baby's name in the spheres. "Arantisu! Please! Come to me, Spirit of Arantisu!" she called, as waves of summoning magic echoed throughout the Farplane.

The circle exploded with a bright light and a gust of wind. The seal that had protected Spira's baby for ages broke open, and the never-before-seen aeon hatched from a giant egg. A sheen of silver glossed the small, white dragon's scales, glinting off of the golden chain and large pendant that hung around its neck. Yuna stared at the aeon in awe for a moment. It was perhaps the most beautiful aeon she'd ever seen. "Arantisu..." Apologetic, for disturbing its rest, she stretched an open hand toward the creature.

Meimo snatched the pendant from the aeon's throat, then promptly cast a stone spell on it.

"No! NO!" Yuna whirled on him in anger. "It's just a baby!"

"Then that would explain why it's not strong enough to throw off the stone spell! I'm not about to make the same _stupid_ mistake that Kyudou did with Shuyin. If I didn't summon it, I can't control it. But I have no further use for it." He cast a thundaga spell on the petrified aeon and turned away to avoid getting hit with the shattered pieces.

"_NO_!" Yuna cried out again and dropped to her knees over the tomb. Fists clenched, she choked back angry tears, but she had no time to run before a second stone spell froze and entombed her as well.

))((

With the aeon and Yuna safely removed, Meimo opened the pendant and freed the coveted silver disk within. Pleased beyond measure, he bowed to Yuna's statue, thanking her for her help. Then, he stepped through the portal into the Farplane's Heart.

Walking the past the repair stations that had been shut down for the night, he followed the machina path to the floating pedestals. Climbing the long trail of stepping stones that rose to the giant cable, he approached the center of the dome. Vegnagun had already been cleared away. The Machine Faction had done all the hard work for him.

Pausing over the platform, he crouched low and felt the floor for a thin crack in the surface. Then, he slipped the disk through the force shield and into the key slot. It clicked and whirred for the first time in ages, and the vast, empty spaces of the Farplane's Heart began to blur and shake. Something enormous began to materialize. Standing and opening his arms, Meimo welcomed the appearance of his hard-earned prize.

))((

Paine stepped through the teleporter. "Yuna!"

Behind her, Rikku spotted Yuna near the unearthed aeon's tomb and gasped. "She's been petrified!" The small thief pulled a vial of soft cream from her utility belt and began smearing it over the statue's face, arms, and hands. Smoke began to rise from the burning stone as it drew the spell to the surface of Yuna's body and transformed into a soft shell of dried mud. After a moment, Rikku was able to break and peel away chunks of the spell to uncover Yuna's face and head. Then Yuna herself was able to break through the shell over her hands and arms. Paine helped free Yuna's back and torso from the mud before it became too soft and stuck to her.

"Meimo!" Yuna coughed as she emerged from the softening cocoon. "He took Arantisu's pendant and went into the Heart!" Reaching a stiff arm to her friend for support, she tried to stand.

"We'll take care of Meimo," Paine promised. "You have someone else on the other side of that teleporter that's worried to death about you. Go let him know you're all right."

Yuna nodded in gratitude, then stumbled toward the teleporter.

))((

As soon as Yuna appeared in the hall outside of the Celsius's bridge, Tidus caught and pulled her to his chest, holding her tight. "Yuna! That bastard took you to the one place I couldn't go!" He unclenched his jaw and gritted teeth. "I'm so sorry I didn't walk with you."

Closing her eyes, Yuna buried her face into his chest. "You still knew where to find me. Thank you."

))((

Upon entering the portal to the Heart, Paine and Rikku came to an abrupt halt. Looming above them in the place where Vegnagun once sat was a large containment area they had never seen before.

"What the heck is that?" Rikku asked, astonished and frightened.

The portal from the Abyss opened behind them. Half-dressed in whatever they could throw on at a minute's notice, Nooj, Gippal, and Baralai came through, weapons readied.

"Where's Meimo?" Baralai surveyed the revelation with an unhappy expression. "Let me guess. He went in there?"

"He found the ship's bridge," Gippal muttered, awed and more than a little jealous he had not been able to find it himself. Then, he ran up the path that took him to where he once fought Vegnagun to admire the new machina that replaced it.

His four friends followed.

At the top, Gippal dropped to his knees and ran a hand over the platform's surface. "How did he know how to unlock it?"

"He had more of those old spheres than we did," Nooj reminded him. "One of them probably revealed the lock, but he didn't know where to find the key."

Gippal's fingers found the small crack in the surface and touched the disk inside of it, which was automatically ejected. The entire bridge started to fade.

"Put it back! Put it back!" Rikku cried out. "He'll know we're here!"

"Yeah, and shouting won't give him a clue otherwise." Gippal pushed the disk back into the slot to bring the bridge back.

"We can't waste time on this," Paine reminded them.

"If he teleports with the maps," Nooj agreed, "he can hide anywhere and come back to the bridge to control the ship at his leisure."

Standing, Gippal reached into his pocket and produced a hush grenade. "Think this'll do the trick?"

Fireballs suddenly exploded around them with the force of a quake. Meimo stood in the doorway of the bridge casting spells to get them off of his back once and for all.

"Do it!" Baralai told Gippal, casting a protective shell around him.

Gippal ran into another oncoming fire spell and pitched the grenades at the summoner's feet. A cloud of smoke puffed up around them, then Nooj ran after Gippal, readying his guns in case the silencing Meimo's magic didn't work.

The renegade summoner raised his staff to cast another fire spell but found he could not. Angered, he raised his hands to cast a teleport spell instead. Again, he found he could not. He was reaching into his pocket for something that would rid him of the silence enchantment when Nooj fired several shots at him.

Baralai rushed forward and thrust his bladed staff through the fallen summoner's shoulder, pinning him to the ground and further preventing any more spell casting. "Meimo, we meet again. But this time, I assure you we have plenty of good reasons to make sure you stay locked-up in Bevelle."

Gippal and Nooj glared at Meimo but then walked past him to inspect the newly discovered bridge of their homeworld—their spaceship—Spira. Two skeletons lay on the floor of the bridge, and one was still pinned to the wall by a stunning, antique summoner's staff.

"That had to hurt," Gippal quipped as he looked around, then walked to the control panel. After a quick scan, he was able to flip the switch that disabled the force shield. "Now, we can safely remove the key from the lock and look for the travel log itself."

Paine and Rikku entered the bridge behind him while Baralai and Nooj handled the injured summoner's arrest. "You mean that disk wasn't it?" Rikku asked.

"It's probably one of these." Paine indicated a collection of disks and spheres shelved near the navigation controls. "Or all of them."

"Jackpot." Rikku grinned.


	28. Chapter 28: Breaking Ground

Chapter 28: Breaking Ground

A few days after the discovery of Spira's bridge, the focus of her leaders shifted back to the library project. They all agreed with Baralai that they should continue to keep the information regarding Spira's true nature out of public circulation for now, but they also agreed with Nooj that no single body of power should be allowed to hoard the spheres. They knew that publicly releasing those particular spheres would attract more people like Meimo and Kyudou, so they would have to be better prepared when that time came. Right now, releasing common era spheres to unify people and help them continue healing from the damage done by Sin was more important, and repairs to the ship could be done discreetly underground. The future of the Zanarkand library project had taken on more significance than any of them initially imagined.

After discovering the center of the ship's AI and completing his task of figuring out which parts could be shut down safely for repairs, Gippal received a message from Tidus asking if he would join him and Shinra in drawing up blueprints for Kimahri since his machines were going to be helping with the work. They needed to know what their salvaged technology was capable of reproducing from high-tech ruins. As Tidus explained what he remembered about most of Zanarkand's structures, Gippal and Shinra took notes and drew up designs. Cid, Buddy, and Brother hovered nearby, adding their opinions and insights.

They were finalizing the last stage of their plans, when Yuna came onto the bridge, brimming with excitement, and waited for them to look up from their work so that she had their full attention before speaking. "Guess what? We're adding a new addition to our family!"

Gippal dropped his measuring device. Brother gasped and slapped both hands over his bald head.

Tidus's jaw dropped. "What? _How_?"

"Lot o' good that talk did you!" Cid smacked Tidus on the back of the head.

"But we didn't!" Tidus started to argue back but realized whatever came out of his mouth next might be denying one thing and admitting another.

Yuna laughed at their reactions. "Come see." Taking Tidus by the hand, she led him out of the airship. Everyone else followed. Besaid villagers had already gathered on the beach, crowding with excitement around something he couldn't see. Then, they parted to let Yuna and Tidus through, revealing a small, white dragon in the center. It still wore a golden chain around its neck, but the pendant was missing.

The dragon looked up at Yuna with big, blue eyes and blinked in curiosity at the new people she brought back with her. It stood only as high as her waist, but when she patted its head as if it were a big cat, a loud purr came from deep within its serpentine throat.

Gippal snorted and clapped Tidus on the back. "Congratulations, _Dad_. He's got your eyes."

"_She_," Yuna corrected. "This is Arantisu - the baby of _that unsent woman_ who told us about her collection of spheres in the Farplane." She was careful to avoid details since they were on a public beach with the rest of the village. "I had barely summoned her when Meimo petrified her and sent her away again. And we've been so busy, I haven't had a chance to go back and see if she was all right, until now. Arantisu is not an aeon of Yevon's Fayth since she was transformed by her own mother, but that's also why she's probably the only aeon left. She doesn't seem to want to be sent to her final rest, though. Technically, she's very old, but her soul is very young. So, it's as if her life is just beginning." Yuna smiled at Tidus. "She has a lot in common with you in that sense. Maybe that's why her mother's spirit chose to let you in on her secret - so you could protect her and what she guarded."

"I can't protect anyone in the Farplane," Tidus disagreed. "I can't even go down there, much less summon aeons. I'd make a lousy aeon guardian."

"Her mother didn't know that. All she knew was that you came from a plane of magic, so you would understand what it means to be summoned into someone else's service. And you were honest and courageous to speak with her the way that you did. But since you can't summon her, I guess we'll just have to work together looking after her." Yuna grinned and glanced at her friends and the villagers on the beach.

Tidus drew near to whisper. "Where's the key?"

"Baralai had an idea about how to seal the collection a little longer," she answered, again being somewhat brief and vague, so as not to be overheard. "Maybe someday we can make good use of that travel log, but right now, we still have a lot to learn about our origins before attempting to find them."

Gippal hooked an arm over Tidus's shoulders. "Hm, white dragon, white hair ... Your _baby _looks a lot like Baralai. I'd be worried if I were you."

Their friends and the gathered crowd laughed a little.

Tidus took the joke in stride and approached the baby dragon with uncertainty. Bending forward, hands-on-knees, he examined her more closely. The dragon stretched her long neck toward him and sniffed. "She's cute. I like her." Extending an open hand for her to sniff, he scratched under her chin. "Is she going to stay this size, or will she get bigger? She's not very intimidating, you know. It's probably not very practical to summon her for a fight. Although, it might make the fiends drop dead from laughter if we do."

Yuna giggled at that last remark. "Bahamut's aeon was full-grown despite his being a child when he was entombed. An aeon's form reflects the true nature of its human soul. But Arantisu was half-guado, so I guess we'll have to wait and see if that makes her different."

"Isn't she cute?" Rikku moved closer to pet Arantisu. "Can we keep her on the ship and teach her tricks?"

"Rikku, she is a dragon—not a dog!" Brother protested. "She might fry something with one sneeze!"

Buddy chuckled. "You mean if she can cough up anything more than smoke?"

"Oh, stop picking on her. She can't help that she's small." Yuna moved back, away from the circle. "Okay, the other reason I pulled everyone out here is this!" She produced an empty memory sphere. "We're sphere hunters, yet we haven't been making any of our own spheres. Everyone say 'Hi!'" she insisted as she activated and held it up to pan the large gathering.

"Hi, Yuna!" Everyone shouted and waved at the sphere.

Laughing, Yuna zoomed in on Tidus and Arantisu. "Don't forget—"

"I have to play the song for a recording. I know, I know. I haven't forgotten." Tidus rolled his eyes but then gave her a playful wink.

"Here. Let me take that so you can get in there." Paine offered, taking the sphere from Yuna and stepping back to get a wider scope.

"That's right. Let a professional do it," Gippal quipped.

Paine turned the sphere toward him.

"Hey, you should do that again, Dr. P. Record for the Gullwings the way you used to record for us."

She smirked, seeming to like that idea. "Maybe, I will."

Gippal leaned in and made a face.

She pushed him away with a light laugh and turned the sphere back toward Yuna and Tidus. "Okay, do something sweet, you two. This is for the record."

"Why can't I just make a face like he did?" Tidus sat down in the sand and crossed his ankles, draping his elbows over his knees.

"Because he's an idiot."

Gippal chuckled as Yuna dropped into place on the sand beside Tidus and waved at Paine.

"Something sweet, huh? That's easy enough." Tidus leaned across Yuna as if to kiss her but then grinned with mischief and grabbed her ribs, tickling her instead.

Yuna yelped, laughed, and twisted to escape.

"What are you doing? That's not sweet!" Rikku fussed behind them and tried to help Yuna break free. "You were supposed to kiss her!"

"Rikku, mind your own business." Cid tried to pull his daughter away from them.

"She never minded her own business before. Why would she start now?" Brother tried to help him.

Rikku squawked and held tighter to Yuna. Then she latched onto Buddy to avoid being pulled away. Buddy tried to pry himself free from Rikku's grasp. At their feet, Arantisu gave a strange little growl and licked the side of Tidus's face with her long, forked tongue.

"Uwaaa!" Tidus hopped up from the sand and fell back a few steps with a shudder of disgust.

Freed from his grasp, Yuna jumped up to help Rikku.

"Water. Water can break up fights." Shinra ran to the engine room, returned with a couple of buckets, and sloshed them all over Rikku, Yuna, Brother, Tidus, and Gippal. It disrupted the argument but backfired when all of them decided to chase him instead. The little dragon didn't know what was going on, but she loped behind everyone else at an easy trot, curious and excited to join the fun.

))((

Paine sighed but continued recording the mayhem. "So much for being professional with this bunch." Shaking her head, she laughed to herself and followed to get a close-up of everyone dunking Shinra in the ocean.

))((

The following day, Gippal and Tidus set out to take their finished plans to Kimahri. "It's freakin' cold up here!" the engineer complained, having gone from a warm, sunny beach to a cold, snowy mountain. "It's a wonder the ronso haven't frozen off body parts. I'm ready to go back to Bevelle and work in the warmth of the Farplane. What was I thinking when I volunteered to help with this project?"

Tidus laughed at Gippal's complaints but trudged onward through the snow. "I'd take Gagazet any day over the Farplane."

"Yeah, I guess that would be logical for you. Hey, what's it like? On the other side, I mean."

Tidus tried to recall his two years in the Farplane, but it had been a strange state of awareness without really existing, so there wasn't much to say about it. "Lonely."

Not expecting that kind of answer, Gippal seemed to change his mind about asking further questions.

As they rounded the corner into the magical cavern of the sacred mountain and climbed the steps, Kimahri came down from the teleporter to meet them. "Tidus. Gippal. Kimahri glad to see you again."

Tidus sighed with a misty breath. "Well, here they are." He passed the plans and a sphere to the ronso. "This contains footage of the original Zanarkand library." Activating the sphere, he pointed to one building among many on the horizon. "Is that clear enough?"

"Clear enough for study. Tromell connected a model image of other spheres and one from Seymour. We can add this and compare." Kimahri touched a claw to the sphere, pausing it to examine the structure Tidus indicated. The sphere was so tiny in his big, strong hands that he handled it like a fragile egg.

"I've brought the machina you can use for the job," Gippal added. "Some of my people from the Machine Faction are down at the ruins with it, whenever you're ready."

"The Gullwings will be at the ruins off and on while you're working because we're looking for spheres under the original library," Tidus added. "We won't get in your way. And we won't be there all the time. I've got the rest of the blitz season to focus on, too. But if you need anything else, just let us know."

"Alright, then. Let's go do this thing!" Gippal clapped his hands.

With a nod, Kimahri led them back to where his ronso workers gathered. Together, they descended the sacred mountain toward the ruins, where the ronso met with the Machine Faction, who would teach them how to use their machina after going over the plans together.

))((

The following day, all of the council members and parties involved in the project were called together at the construction site to do a small ground-breaking ceremony. Tidus was unanimously voted as the one who should dig the first hole. After doing so, he turned the shovel over to Kimahri.

"I'm so excited!" Yuna gave both of them hugs when he was done. "I can't wait to see this thing come together."

"Ah, well, you're going to have to wait a little longer," Gippal told her with a wry grin.

"Tidus asked Kimahri to keep Yuna out." The ronso folded his arms and twitched his tail—his characteristic way of letting her know he wasn't going to budge on the decision.

Yuna blinked in surprise and faced Tidus with a hurt tone of accusation. "_What?_"

"It's going to be a surprise," he quickly explained. "You'll get to see the outside while they're working on it, but you won't be able to see the inside until it's done."

"But it was my suggestion to build it. You didn't even want to come to meetings."

"That was because he knew to be _very afraid_ of us." Nooj's comment brought chuckles from the group as he gave Tidus a sly glance.

"You will like the surprise, Lady Yuna." Tromell smiled and tried to put her at ease. "It's a very good surprise."

Yuna's eyes narrowed with suspicion, but Tidus offered only a grin in return. She turned to the Gullwings crew behind her. "Do you know anything about this?"

"Nope." Rikku shook her head.

"Not a clue. But he's up to something all right." Paine agreed with Yuna's doubts.

Everyone else shook their heads in denial of any inside knowledge.

Baralai stepped forward and presented Yuna with a small box. "Before I forget..." He lowered his voice before continuing. "I've placed some magical wards on Arantisu's pendant. There are two charms in this box with it—the only two charms that will safely unlock the wards. That way, she can wear the key without fear of anyone else being able to use it. Wear one; hide the other in a safe place."

"Thank you, Baralai." She accepted the gift and opened the box to see the items, then laughed at the shape of the silver charms. Withdrawing one, she showed it to Tidus.

Tidus laughed as he accepted the charm. "Zanarkand Abes."

Baralai chuckled with them. "That symbol will never slip past me again."

"Psst!" Yuna leaned toward Baralai and whispered. "Do you know why he won't let me see the inside of the library being built?"

"Psst! Yes! But it's a secret," the praetor answered in a rather loud variation of his hushed tone.

Everyone but Yuna laughed.

"Oh, never mind." Frowning with a small pout, she turned her back to them but then gave Tidus a curious smile.

))((

Luca stadium was as crowded as ever when Tidus arrived with the Gullwings to play his third game of the season. Approaching the stadium with caution, he rounded the corner and was surprised to see the typical throng of autograph seekers outside the locker rooms. Sunsa and her recorder were among them. For the first time in his life, he was nervous about playing a game. "What do I tell them?" he asked with uncertainty.

"The truth," Yuna answered, slipping her hand into his, reminding him he was not alone in this.

Wakka and Lulu showed up from the other side of the stadium, and Wakka spotted his star player from across the venue. After gesturing for Lulu to keep Vidina and herself at a safe distance this time, just in case, he crossed the floor to meet Tidus and the Gullwings crew standing behind him. "If anyone can win back our fan base and cheer on our players, it's you." He set his hands on Tidus's shoulders. "Ready, brudda?"

Tidus answered with a hesitant nod, released Yuna's hand, and allowed Wakka to lead him toward the crowd and the reporter.

The crowd quieted as they drew near.

The rest of the Aurochs team had been waiting at the stairs but came forward as they drew near. These signs of acceptance raised Tidus's hopes, but the presence of one of the game's officials, here to supervise, and new guards to keep the crowd from getting out of hand again dented his spirit more than his fear of getting hurt again. When had blitzball become such a major security operation?

"Tidus." Sunsa greeted him warmly. "I'd like to apologize for any role I might have played in what happened at your last game. Would you like another chance to set the record straight?"

His face was plastered across all of the live broadcast screens that lined the stadium and docks. Closing his eyes, he drew a breath, then stepped forward again to face the reporter, the official, his teammates, and the fans. "I am not unsent." His voice echoed through the streets of Luca as if more than one of him was speaking. It reminded him that Shuyin was still a part of him… still with him. Shuyin would not have been afraid to speak up and say what was on his mind, not even in the face of getting mobbed again. So, he continued. "Two years ago, Sin drew me out of an illusionary world of magic created by the Fayth and dropped me into this one to help Yuna and her other guardians end his own madness. If you want to blame someone for bringing me here, blame the Fayth and Sin. But during my time here, I fell in love with this place… and its people." His eyes met Yuna's. "I never died to this world before I was sent away, so the Fayth allowed me to come back."

Tidus continued to make eye contact with as many faces as he could—to know each face that would absolve him, or condemn him. "If you feel I shouldn't be here playing this game anymore because I'm different, because I came from a different place and time, say the word and I'll walk away. But please don't send me away from Spira again. Please." Stepping back, he bowed in apology for having caused them concern and silently awaited the public's verdict. Even if the officials approved, the game wouldn't be the same without the support of the fans.

Two small feet broke through the crowd and ran to him, causing gasps and murmurs. Small hands cupped his chin and lifted his face to look at her. "Will you score a goal if I cheer for you?"

Tidus smiled, remembering her. "You bet, Rukiina-with-two-i's."

A muffled chuckle went up from the crowd.

Wakka clapped his hands; that was all the verdict he needed. "You heard the little lady! We got a game to play!" The Aurochs and game official enthusiastically joined his applause. Then, to Tidus's amazement, the crowd of blitzball fans began to applaud and bow in apology to him.

Sunsa drew the microphone back to herself. "Well, folks, you saw it live here in Luca. I believe the Aurochs are ready to play! Am I right?" She turned the microphone back to him.

"Thank you," he said, giving her an unexpected hug that imbalanced her and brought color to her cheeks. Then, he faced his team and threw a fist into the air. "Let's blitz!"

As cheers went up in the crowd, he crouched and high-fived the little girl that had bravely come forward. Tula ran to him and held up his hand too. Tidus obliged by slapping and clasping it, only to find himself surrounded by dozens more hands wanting to wish him good luck and get his autograph.

The Aurochs versus the ronso turned out to be a close match, but for the Aurochs, the end brought another exhilarating victory.

))((

Tidus held his hands over Yuna's eyes as he led her to a small clearing on a hill just behind and below the front row of huts in front of the Besaid temple. He had told her he had a surprise, so she played along with his little game. "I'm going to trip on a tree root or something if you don't let me see where I'm going."

"No problem. I'll catch you if you fall—after I laugh at you, of course."

She giggled, holding onto the wrists of her guide. "What if I make you fall, too?"

"Then, I guess whoever else is watching will do the laughing." Finally, he came to a stop. "Ready?"

"Okay."

He pulled his hands away. "_Tidaa!_"

Yuna stared at the sand, grass, and trees looking for the promised surprise. But when _only_ the sand, grass, and trees were visible, she shifted her gaze to him, speechless with doubt.

"You can guess all those sphere clues, but you can't see what's _not_ right in front of you? That broken hut that has been here since, like, forever is gone."

Yuna looked again. "Oh, you're right!" The remains of a damaged hut had been sitting on this spot in ruins since Sin's last attack on Besaid. The owner had abandoned it rather than rebuilding again. Now, all that remained was the little patch of cleared shade. But new foundation posts had been set in the ground, and a stack of building supplies sat along the side.

When she still didn't seem to understand, Tidus sighed with impatience at her inability to solve his puzzle. "Wakka's going to help me build a hut!"

Yuna's happiness faded. "A hut? You're... leaving the Gullwings?"

Not the reaction he expected, but taking her hands, he slid toe-to-toe in front of her. "When Gippal and I took the plans to Kimahri, he suggested that I become one of the guardians at the ruins, but I told him Besaid was my home now. And earlier, when I thanked Wakka for letting me use his hut to watch my spheres, he suggested this spot for when I was ready to build a place of my own. At the time, I didn't want to move because I like living on the airship with everyone. But after the last game, I got to thinking, and, well, ...I haven't had a home since leaving Zanarkand two years ago. Having my own place might help me feel like I belong here, even if I only use it between sphere hunting runs."

Yuna's smile slowly returned. "Then… you're not leaving the Gullwings?"

"Nope," he answered with a grin.

Stepping around him to walk the perimeter of the clearing, she tried to envision how it might look when it's done. As that vision broadened, so did her smile. "I like it."

"I hoped you would." Approaching from behind, he folded his arms over her shoulders and drew her back a step into his chest. "Because I want to share it with you."

More surprised by this than the news of the hut itself, Yuna turned around to face him.

"Always is a long time to share a bathroom with Paine and Rikku ..._and_ Brother _and_ Buddy _and_ Cid _and_ Shinra _and _whoever else we take on board. I didn't promise I'd stay with _them_ that long."

Tears burned Yuna's eyes as she hugged his neck.

Tidus heard her sniffle and began to worry. "Did I say something wrong?"

Shaking her head, she drew back to look into his eyes and laughed a little at his confusion. "No. You said it... just right."

One hand gently drew her head forward to his. "Always," he repeated his promise again.


	29. Chapter 29: Epilogue, Zanarkand Library

29: Epilogue: The Zanarkand Library

"Testing, one, two. Testing." Shelinda tapped her microphone and glanced around the ruins at the wide-eyed squatter monkeys that watched the large gathering of people.

Maku checked his sphere recorder and nodded that the settings were ready. Then, he gave the cue that she was broadcasting live to Luca.

"Oh! We're here at the Zanarkand Ruins to witness the opening ceremony of a special building." Shelinda smiled sweetly at the sphere recorder. "As you all know, it was a year ago today that New Yevon, the Youth League, the Machine Faction, the Ronso, and the Guado all agreed that any historical spheres found around Spira should be considered a global treasure. They decided to preserve the spheres in a vault built right here in Zanarkand to honor the memories of those who died in the Machina War - a war that forever changed our world. The library's completion has taken thousands of hours of labor, with all of Spira's communities pitching in to help in some way. You can see it behind me, just to the left of the broken road that leads directly into the ruins. The design of this beautiful five-story tower was inspired by the ancient architectural style of the ruins. We don't know what kinds of surprises it has hidden inside yet because those directly involved with the project are keeping a tight lip on the matter. But one thing's for sure: everyone here is excited. We'll be back in a minute with more, live from the Library at Zanarkand." The sphere recorder's hum faded, and Shelinda lowered her microphone. "Hoo! How was that?"

"I couldn't get a good view of the library." Maku pointed to the high mound of rock facing the water that had flooded the ruins. "Maybe we should move up on that hill over there."

"Okay." Shelinda made her way through the crowd to the overlook area. They had just made it to the top of the rocks when a distant engine could be heard in the sky. "Oh! There they are! Turn it back on!"

Maku turned the sphere recorder back on and focused on Shelinda. Then, he cued her that they were broadcasting live once more.

"Hello, Luca. Shelinda here, back with more live reporting from the opening of the Zanarkand Library. The Celsius is getting ready to land with the last of its passengers flown in from around Spira. Just as Lady Yuna and the Gullwings generously transported hundreds of people into the Thunder Plains for a concert a little more than a year ago, they are now bringing as many people as they can to Zanarkand for the library's dedication. Here they come now!"

The red airship shone like a fireball in the late afternoon sun as it jetted down from the clouds toward the gathering, but it landed over the water with gentle ease and stopped close to the ground for the landing ramp to bridge the distance down. Spectators that had been thrilled with the ride were now excited to disembark near the sacred ruins. Most of the visitors had never even seen the region before, so they were as awed at their first sight of the legendary ruins as they were at the new library standing on the grounds. A few minutes after the last of the passengers left the ship, the Gullwings crew exited down the ramp as well.

"Lady Yuna has just arrived, along with the rest of the Gullwings. Let's see if we can get a word with her. Lady Yuna!" Shelinda waved from her perch on the rocks. After Yuna waved back, Shelinda gestured for her recorder to cut and follow. Hopping down from the rocks, Shelinda ran toward the twenty-year-old former summoner, with Maku in tow. "Lady Yuna." She paused to catch her breath for a moment. "Would you mind doing an interview?"

Yuna looked back over her shoulder at the rest of the crew. They didn't seem bothered by it, so she consented. "We have a few minutes before the opening ceremony begins." Yuna's cheerful smile lit up her blue and green eyes, as always. She wore her shoulder-length hair pinned up formally with thin feathery layers around her face, but her long braid hung down to her ankles as usual. Some of the long strands were woven into smaller braids with a touch of beads here and there, looped intricately around and pinned up into the bun. Having also chosen to wear Lenne's dress sphere for the occasion, she looked very elegant.

"Thank you so much!" Shelinda faced her recorder, who turned the sphere back on. "We're here again, live in Zanarkand. Lady Yuna, Zanarkand was once a sacred pilgrimage for the summoners of Yevon, but last year, it was turned into a sphere hunting tourist attraction. What's so different about drawing people to Zanarkand for a library instead of hunting spheres? Won't that be cheapening the value of this sacred place too?" She turned the microphone to Yuna.

"That wasn't cheapening the value of the place." Cid stepped forward, slightly miffed. "There are spheres all over this place, and they all need to be dug up."

"The difference," Yuna politely interrupted before her uncle could get too testy, "is that the spheres were being used as a souvenir attraction before - a moneymaker that benefited only the lucky few who found them. Now, we're going to house them in this library so everyone on Spira can learn from them. Another difference," she continued, "is that the ruins themselves will be off-limits to tourists. The ronso formed a new honor guard for Zanarkand, and only expert sphere hunters will be allowed beyond the library… to protect the ruins from further damage."

"I see. Any preview of what lies inside for us?" Shelinda turned the microphone back to Yuna.

"Well… " Yuna gave a small laugh. "To be honest with you, I'm not sure what to expect. I haven't been working on the library itself because I've been exploring the ruins under the water and helping to map out the sectors with our navigator, Buddy. Kimahri Ronso, Tromell Guado, and Gippal of the Machine Faction have been in charge of the building plans." Her eyes shifted toward Tidus. "And our official Zanarkand consultant has stubbornly refused to give me permission to enter."

Standing beside her, Tidus returned a quiet smile. He had donned his black basilisk armor for this occasion. Today, he was a guardian once more. His hair had grown down to the base of his neck now, but other than that, he looked the same as ever. He had aged exactly one year, just like everyone else, but at eighteen, any changes in his face had been so subtle as to be unnoticeable. On his wrist, he wore a small, woven Auroch's sports bracelet alongside his typical silver one - the only visible reminder that he was captain of the current Crystal Cup champions.

Shelinda continued with her interview. "Is New Yevon going to be in charge of the library?"

"No." Yuna shook her head. Rumors of New Yevon controlling access to the valuable collection of spheres would only raise the heckles of Youth League members, and the last thing they needed was more dissension between the popular factions. "New Yevon is only a partner in this endeavor. We assure you that previous policies on temple treasury items have been reevaluated, so this library is for _all_ of Spira."

Shelinda turned back to the sphere recorder. "Well, there you have it, folks. I think that's a wrap. Let the opening ceremony begin." She lowered her microphone as Maku turned the sphere recorder off. "Thank you for your time, Lady Yuna. We're really excited to see what's inside the library."

"I think we all are," Yuna admitted.

))((

"Lady Yuna? Tidus?" Tromell Guado greeted them with a bow as he and Kimahri approached.

"We're ready," she answered, knowing why they were here. Grasping Tidus's hand, she followed them to where the rest of the council members stood up on the stage. Spotting Wakka and Lulu in the crowd, she laughed lightly at the way Wakka was making Vidina wave at her from atop his dad's shoulders. The one-year-old looked stunned to be surrounded by so many people. Lulu gave her an assuring smile, and Yuna waved back at them before summoning a microphone to address the large crowd. "I'd like to thank all of you for coming this afternoon. I once told someone…" Her eyes shifted to Tidus. "..that people define themselves by where they come from, whether it's a place, or a time, or some other personal background." She remembered their conversation on the rainy deck of the Thunder Plains a little over a year ago and smiled at how sure of himself he was now, compared to then.

Tidus stepped back and crossed his arms over his chest, pretending not to be the example in this speech.

"Spira has had trouble being able to freely discover what that definition is for all of us," she continued. "This library is a collection of places, times, and personal backgrounds that will hopefully restore some of that lost identity to us. My friends and I, and many of you, have contributed to that collective identity. I wish I could thank each one of you personally for those contributions, but we'd be here all night if I did." She smiled as a wave of chuckles rose from the crowd. "However, there are a few people we all need to thank, or this day would not have been possible. I would like to thank Kimahri Ronso and his tribe of ronso from Mt. Gagazet for being the backbone and muscle behind the construction of the building to house the spheres."

Kimahri gripped his lance and his golden eyes stared stoically at the cheering crowd, but his tail twitched ever so slightly with pride. His broken horn tipped to the people acknowledging him and his ronso builders and new guardians, who stood in a ring around the event in the same stoic position he held. Isaaru stood among them, pleased to _not_ be the _only_ keeper of the sacred place anymore.

"I would like to thank Baralai, the Praetor of New Yevon, for being the first leader of Bevelle to open his mind and his heart to sharing the temple's collection of spheres," Yuna continued.

Baralai bowed formally before the gathering that cheered for him.

"Tromell Guado, for his advice and knowledge of the Farplane, and helping with the display of the spheres themselves."

The master of the forest people graciously bowed a couple of times for the applause given to him.

"Gippal, head of the Machine Faction, has donated his time and genius, as well as his _machines_ to the effort." Yuna was careful to try to say the new word for Gippal's improved inventions. "And his army of knowledgeable engineers, who were once shunned for their experimentation with old technology..."

Gippal raised both hands to the fanfare he received but then waved it off like it was nothing. Al Bhed workers in the crowd bounced and waved, glad to receive their recognition, too.

"A word of thanks goes out to Nooj, meyvn of the Youth League, and his volunteers. If not for them, this entire project might have met... a fatal end." She looked to the meyvn and smiled in gratitude, both public and personal.

He bowed and then nodded to her, acknowledging both.

"What about me? She didn't mention me. I'm the one who told her about the thieves." Leblanc hissed at his side.

"You're part of the Youth League." Nooj consoled her, patting her arm.

Leblanc considered that connection and was momentarily pacified because _he_ suggested it.

When Yuna turned to face Tidus for mention of his participation, his slow grin made her grin too. "And I'd also like to thank our Zanarkand expert, though most of you know him as the captain of the Besaid Aurochs. Tidus's special knowledge has been the glue that brought all the pieces together."

The blitz fans in the crowd gave a rowdy stadium-style "Go Aurochs!" cheer, as he did a little victory dance and bow that made them laugh.

Yuna laughed and cuffed his arm. "Show off."

"Well, I could have done The Sublimely Magnificent Jecht Shot Mark III, but I'm not sure I want to try it with a really big sword on my back, you know?"

"You better not be doing no flips up on that stage!" Wakka yelled from the crowd. "Don't make me come up there and pound some sense into you! You'll just have to settle for the little dance, Yuna!"

On cue, Tidus did his victory-wiggle-dance for her. Collective chuckles rose from the crowd as Yuna turned away with an embarrassed laugh, shaking her head. Then, having enjoyed the fact that he managed to crack her up in the middle of her speech, he backed up a step and attempted to blend into the background once more.

"I would also like to thank my friends and family among the Gullwings," Yuna added, looking down at the front row in the crowd. "Many of the spheres on display in the library were obtained with their help. And they've supported this project through thick and thin, even when I lost my heart to do so. I love you guys." She blew them a kiss.

"Oh, Yunie, don't say things like that." Rikku wiped her eyes as her voice rose another octave.

"You hear that? She loves us!" Brother grinned.

"Everyone but you," Paine muttered.

Rikku laughed at the way her brother's expression fell, but then Paine smirked and elbowed him a little to let him know she was kidding.

Maku, Shelinda's sphere recorder, spanned the large group to try to include everyone in the broadcast. Shinra waved, Buddy smiled and nodded, and Cid puffed out his chest. Brother flapped his arms like a seagull, Paine rolled her eyes at him, and Rikku stepped forward to grin into the sphere's convex lens with a peace sign.

"Finally, I would also like to thank those of you who donated some of your own spheres to the effort. I realize the gil that these items are worth, but we all know that their real value is priceless." Yuna paused to applaud the crowd itself and let them cheer for themselves. Then, she looked over her shoulder to see the musicians joining her on stage while the rest of the committee split in different directions. "And now, I'd like to dedicate a song to all those souls that lived here, in Zanarkand, over a thousand years ago, when it was very much alive and full of hope for the future. This song was once performed by Lenne, a popular singer who fell in love with someone very special, and… " She looked down from the stage to where Tidus had moved into the front row of the crowd with their friends. "I can't blame her." He blushed somewhat and looked away again, making her smile. "She lost sight of him for a long time, but she never gave up hope that they would be together again someday. So, here's to the steadfastness of hope."

Yuna turned to the band and cued them to start the music.

))((

As Tidus watched her sing, he was entranced by her beauty and her voice. It was one of Lenne's songs from the Zanarkand concert sphere he'd found for Yuna. He was already very familiar with the song because Shuyin knew it well, and it awakened memories of Lenne, hearing it again. But it also brought back not-so-distant memories of Yuna herself. It was strange having heard it sung in two lifetimes by two people he loved - strange, but nice. He was sure that Lenne and Shuyin were listening and approved wherever they were.

When Yuna finished singing, she bowed low amid the applause, then stepped back and offered the microphone to Baralai as he stepped forward. Tidus moved into a position opposite Kimahri at the large library doors, where they both waited for Baralai to speak.

"And now, as we invite you to browse our museum of memories, we also ask you to respect the solemn sacrifices made in this lost city. Please do not disturb the rest of the spirits who remain in Zanarkand. If you want to see Zanarkand up close to get a taste of the past, we have a better idea in mind." Baralai's lips were touched by a hint of a smile as he gestured to Tromell, Kimahri, and Tidus.

Kimahri and Tidus grabbed the handles of the large outer doors and pushed them open, locking them in place. Tromell disappeared inside of the library for a moment and came out with a unique-looking sphere. Tidus gestured to Yuna to bring the microphone down from the stage, so she accepted it back from Baralai and hopped down to give it to Tromell.

"This sphere," the guado explained, "is a collection of spheres that were synchronized and pieced together like a three-dimensional puzzle. We used it to make our working model of the library, but when we had finished with that, we thought it would be a shame to junk it. So, we set up projection spheres around the ruins, and at set times of the day and night, visitors will now be able to see a very different kind of Zanarkand."

He touched the activation button, and the ruins came to life! Incredibly tall buildings rose into the sky all around them and extended into the sea. Waterfalls cascaded down the sides of buildings like fountains. A magical wall behind the city acted as a barricade against storms hitting the coast, and two large water arches marked the prominent city's location for even distant travelers to see. Images of ordinary people going about their daily lives doing ordinary things swept between and around the gathering, and the transporter blinked and whirred between the tall spires like a loop of light. Vehicles rolled along the highways, then lifted into the air and flew away overhead. It was Zanarkand before there ever was such a thing as a Machina War.

))((

Yuna drew in a breath of astonishment with everyone else. The illusion felt so real that she wanted to run into it and see all that there was to see. "Was this the surprise you were hiding all that time?" she asked of Tidus.

"Part of it." Putting a finger to his lips, he used the distraction of the Zanarkand sphere to sneak her away from the crowd and into the new library. Kimahri made no move to stop them.

Yuna was delighted by the blend of magic and machina that made up the lighting, furniture, and decor of the interior design. She was touched by a portrait of her father with Sir Auron and Sir Jecht at his side that hung near a room dedicated to the high summoners and Sin. And she giggled at the statue of Maechen near the lighted display map of the building's levels. "Whose idea was that?"

"Mine," he admitted with a proud grin. Kimahri said it needed a statue, and I figured if anyone deserved to be carved in stone here, it should be that old geezer."

Yuna put a hand to her mouth and tried not to laugh, but she supposed he was right.

"He could tell you everything about anything if you had the patience to listen to him long enough." Tidus pointed her toward the directory map in the center of the lobby. "We have rooms devoted to each of Spira's regions and a few rooms for things each region has in common." Taking her hand, he didn't wait for her to look at the entire map before pulling her with him. "The Zanarkand rooms will be the most expansive because they're meant for anything related to the Machina War, including the high summoners, the Fayth, the aeons, and any guardians who made it to the final pilgrimage. Even Sin and Yu Yevon are given their dues because they used to be people too. Might help the survivors of Sin's storms to move on if they can understand that. Anyway, that takes up the entire first-floor display."

He led her into one of the rooms. "We call this 'the Dream Room.'" Amid the many shelves made to hold cataloged spheres for individual viewing, Tidus approached a large stand in the middle of the room and touched the surface menu visible through the large crystal ball. The sphere blinked and hummed with the familiar sound of most memory spheres, and then Seymour's sphere swallowed the room in Zanarkand sights and sounds.

"Gippal spliced a tap between this sphere and the model that Tromell reconstructed. So, as a result..." He touched another button and a holographic display of a map blinked up before him. "You can find any place in Zanarkand that has been recorded on a sphere, just by touching this map." He touched one of the selections, and the room was transformed into the harbor where he once lived. "With this, you can see what my houseboat looked like above the water, instead of under it." He grinned as he met her gaze of wonder. "Is that cool, or what?"

Looking down at her feet, Yuna was amazed to see that she was standing on the pier only a few feet away from the houseboat. "Dream Room... Like the Fayth's dream?"

Tidus faced the dock where his houseboat bobbed gently on the dark water at night. "We've reconstructed Zanarkand based on memories, just like the Fayth did. But we used holographs and spheres, rather than actual memories from the dead. No souls were summoned to create this, so it's a different kind of illusion from the one I came from," he added with a more sober tone and expression.

Yuna regarded him with concern. "And you're... okay with this?"

"You mean, does it bother me that I'm an illusion building an illusion?" He gave the irony a mild smirk. "I may not be as material as the rest of you, but I have a real conscience." Pausing, he realized they had never talked about it like this before. Now, he found himself looking at her with doubt. "Does it ever bother you? What I am, or… what I'm not?"

"It was harder for me to accept you as Shuyin than it was to accept…"

"That I'm not real," he finished for her.

She felt bad for bringing it up now. "You are _literally_ a dream come true. When I think about that, it amazes me. But to be honest, most of the time I don't think about it. That's how real you are to me." She could tell he was relieved to hear it.

Yuna looked around the room again and latched onto his arm. "I never thought I'd get to see Zanarkand through your eyes like this. It's incredible."

He smiled at the city as he remembered it. "Told you that you'd like it."

She lowered her gaze to his profile. "It's a very nice surprise."

Turning the display off, he took her hand once more. "But you haven't even seen the rest of it yet." Quickly, he ushered her to the lift just as people were starting to fill the main lobby.

Yuna giggled at being whisked away again, glad to see his energy bounce back after the possibly upsetting topic. When they stepped off of the lift, he led her into a room designed to look like the interior of a Besaid home. A holographic view that spanned the island played against one wall behind the rows of sphere shelves. The colors of the room were breezy like the island itself, but Tidus drew her attention to the large painting over the wall facing the door. It was a painting of herself seated in the center of the village near a bonfire, telling stories to the children. Yuna drew a breath of surprise as she stared up at her own portrait.

"This is the Besaid room," he explained, pleased to see her reaction. "Up until now, it's been the storytellers who kept Spira's stories alive. Now, there's going to be a place set aside for story spheres." After checking her expression, he grinned. "But there's another portrait and sphere of you in the summoner's room too, so don't get all weepy on me yet, okay? And there's one more thing I gotta show you before everyone else invades this place."

She laughed and wiped her eyes. "There's more?"

"The fifth floor isn't open to the public yet." He took her back to the lift, and they rode it to the top floor. "This level still has a long way to go toward completion, mainly because we're still hunting spheres for it. But Tromell has been experimenting with Macalania's lake water and a few rare spheres Baralai gave us from the temples."

When they stepped out of the lift into the lobby, Tidus took her to a rotating glass door and started to walk her through it, but she stopped and stared at it with a strange expression. He laughed at her reaction, guessing she'd never seen anything like it before, and showed her how to push it around to walk through it.

Yuna was delighted and walked through the roundabout door several times before joining him with a grin. "It's like a carnival ride. Were all Zanarkand doors like that?"

"Not all, but enough that they were fairly common." Taking her hand, he walked her into a large, empty room that still bore signs of unfinished construction assembly. He touched the controls of another central projection sphere, and the white dome the room darkened considerably, placing them under a starry sky. A space scape wooshed past them as it had in Seymour's sphere, but this one was different. This one showed a small, blue, marbleized planet gradually coming toward them until it loomed before them like a swirling giant.

Yuna gazed at it in disbelief, somehow knowing. "Earth..."

"Mh," he confirmed her guess. "Baralai said it's the only sphere of Earth left that he knows of - well, other than the maps Spira left behind. But nobody knows what's on them yet. He's got a few more stellar recordings, so they'll go in here as well. This room will be for anything related to Spira's origins. We were hoping Spira's spheres could eventually be kept in here for everyone to see. And if we keep digging through all those spheres under the library, I know we'll eventually turn up something related to this room." Tidus sat down on the floor and then lay back, hands behind his head, to gaze up at the skyscape as it shifted and rotated showing Earth's moon and surrounding solar system. "You said you wanted to see it someday, and this way, you don't even need a telescope."

Yuna sat down next to him but gazed in admiration at him, rather than the stars on display above her. "You remembered me saying that?"

Tidus turned his chin toward her. "Of course."

She smiled and lay down beside him, putting her head on his shoulder. "How long can we stay up here?" she asked, gazing up at the faraway universe.

"As long as you want. We can even lock the door, but I don't think anyone will believe we're just star-gazing if we do that."

Amused at his dry humor, she lifted one of two Abes charms at her throat to consider it for a long moment. It was one of Arantisu's charms on a thin, gold necklace above the silver one that usually graced the base of her neck. Tidus wore the other on a thin, golden chain above his old silver charm too. Most people assumed the matching set had to do with the fact that he and Yuna were a couple. Only a small handful knew their true purposes. "Have you ever been tempted to look at the maps?"

"Nope. Everything I could ever need or want is right here."

Yuna let go of her charm and shook her head with a light laugh. "The advantage of coming from a dream... I knew you'd make a safe hiding place for the other charm." Snuggling close, she allowed herself a contented sigh as she lifted her eyes to the mysterious planet that had once been Spira's home.

THE END

Author's Note:

I would like to thank all of you who left reviews for the original posting of this story years ago, as well as those of you who continue to give current feedback. There are two more stories in this "Spira" series, so I will continue revising those. You can check my profile for news and updates on that.

I will end with one additional note concerning the connection between Tidus and Shuyin that I've presented in these first two stories for those readers who are still confused, or who are thinking, "Shuyin and Tidus do NOT look like twins!" After doing a little research while writing _Spira's Sphere_, I discovered that a large number of fans do speculate _some_ kind of connection between the two. Based on the blogs and forums I came across, the most common belief seems to be that Tidus was an altered memory based on a real Shuyin, or that they were brothers. The game designers don't explain any relationship between them, but they obviously wanted Yuna and players to mistake Shuyin for Tidus until further along in the story. Otherwise, the plot with Yuna trying to find Tidus again wouldn't have been credible. But even after Yuna meets Shuyin in the Farplane and is asked if they look alike, she replies, "Only his face." In other words, even face-to-face, she didn't realize Shuyin was not Tidus until he stated his name and behaved differently. So, my series is based on the assumption that the _characters_ see them as nearly identical, even if we, as players, know their appearances are similar, yet different. As for Tidus being drawn from Shuyin's better attributes, I came up with that idea based on my rationalization that if Tidus had been a real person - like Shuyin or Auron or even the Fayth - it would not have fit with the rest of the game's logic to resurrect him after he was sent. Tidus must have some kind of unique "dream juju" going on that neither the living nor the dead can match. Being made of magic allows him to fade, rather than die, providing a possibility of being summoned back. Just a fun theory anyway. ;)

Thanks very much for reading!

_-_ M'jai


End file.
